The Aurora Project
by seventhe
Summary: The most secret and complex of Hojo's experiments suddenly becomes hope for a world ravaged by Meteor and Mako. Cloud and his friends must protect the Project from those who would only exploit its secrets. //reviews = good//
1. Intro: Behind Closed Doors :: Ch1: Wound...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**disclaimer**  
i only own final fantasy in my dreams.  
  
  


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Warning: this story takes a decently mature tone at times. Though not gory, perverted, or excessive in any way, if you have problems with things like violence or childbirth and the human reproductive system, be careful. I do confess that, although the serious part of the story is the most important, it is merely the backbone. I tend to be very sarcastic when I write, and this story is more for entertainment's sake than to be a lecture. A note to readers: I made a sort of compromise on the AR issue (Aeris's Resurrection) which I hope will attract readers of both opinions. Although I have not, in fact, resurrected Aeris Gainsborough, she is still an integral part of my story and can be considered one of the main characters.

  
enjoy.   


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Intro: Behind Closed Doors

  
  
  
  


_I was never really anyone._

_Born? I was born, if you call it that, in the labs of Shinra, in a small test tube beneath the misguided hands of a man called Hojo. Created, soul cleaved to a body that I never really owned. I was the composite of everything Hojo ever played with: through my human blood runs both the power of the Ancients and the knowledge of the cosmoe, that ancient race of animals residing in Cosmo Canyon. Anything Hojo ever touched eventually became a part of me: All sorts of magic and Materia, monsters and Mako - such things have been injected into my blood. I was just a dumping ground - a toy, yet the ultimate weapon of defense._

_They called me simply the Aurora Project._

_Hojo told me one night, reveling in both the success of a previous experiment and his victory in an ongoing battle with a large bottle of whisky, where the idea for my creation had come from. "Long ago," he said, "there was another mad scientist who took as his goal the manipulation and creation of powerful, magical beings. His name was Kaefka. One of his test subjects was a young girl, full of unbelievable powers running in her blood. It was this Kaefka's experiments with this girl that eventually perfected the magic we now call Manipulate. I read about it in a history once." I sat very still. "This is why, my dear, dear, Aurora," he slurred now, his long fingers stroking my cheek, "this is why you wear my crown..." His hands glazed over the small silver band I had always worn, small crests of yellow Materia beads peering from inside its iron workings. _

_I remember little from those times. What I remember, I remember coldly, as if I were watching the body of someone else. I was never really anyone - just the Aurora Project. I remember briefly other subjects of Hojo's - the great red beast, the man with the dark hair, the transfigured machines, the shrieking blond man, the lovely young woman with the green eyes. I remember receiving transfusions from some of them, howling in pain as magics mixed beneath my skin. Hojo's glowing eyes beckoned me on. I was no one._

_I did not know my fate. I had never been outside Hojo's lab rooms - extensive as they were, it was a small world. Then one day, Hojo left - everyone left. The blue suits, the white coats. All gone. I roamed the Shinra labs like a ghost, doing for myself what I could, trying to gather the courage to open the door, the doors that had always been closed ..._

  
  
  


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I. Back to the Beginning

Chapter 1: Wounded City

  
  


Red loped into the town of Nibelheim, his paws padding lightly on the dirt roads, making small _pat-pat_ noises that echoed through the sleeping town. The sun had risen gently in the sky, long fingers of flame and rose slowly fading over the sharp peaks. Red was not surprised to see everyone still asleep; he had slipped out of the conservatory of Cosmo Canyon late at night, starting the journey across the cliffs and through the plains under a clear, black sky. Red had incredible strength and stamina; his beast-like physique - resembling a wolf, or a lion - had been well-trained over his lifetime. The run, though tiring, was nothing especially hard to the _cosmoe_.

Red slowed his pace and looked around him. The town was slowly recovering, as was the world around it. Tiny flowers grew in hopeful gardens beneath patched roofs. Yes, the world was coming back, piece by piece. It had only been a month before that Meteor hung in the sky, red with promise, and Sephiroth had walked the earth. After those two great battles - first, the horrendous struggle with and defeat of Sephiroth; second, the climactic destruction of Meteor with the power of Holy and the Lifestream - the world had paused in its tracks, then slowly let out a collective sigh. Little by little, the people were regaining their confidence and their peace.

Cloud had sent everyone home after the last battle. "Go away," he had said, with a slight smile. "Go home. Make sure everything you cared about, everything you fought for, is alright. Go back to your families and friends and your pasts and get a little bit of comfort."

"But -" Tifa had protested - "but there's so much still to do! Someone has to go down and help rebuild everything in Midgar. Not to mention -"

Cloud put a hand on her shoulder, laughing. "We all need a break, Tifa. How about this - anyone interested, we'll meet back in Nibelheim in a month. Send word before you come. Then we'll start the rest of our work - the healing we need to do. The healing Aeris would have done. We'll go to Midgar and see how badly Meteor hit them." There were nods of agreement all around.

The month had passed, and Red had enjoyed immensely his return home - even though his grandfather and mentor, Bugenhagen, was still missed. Red spent long nights in the conservatory, thinking and watching the stars, determined to become the scholar and wise-man Bugenhagen had been. At times, a long, mournful howl had echoed over the Canyon, deep in the melancholy of midnight; although mature, Red still mourned his mother and father and especially his mentor.

However, the time had come to meet up with the others and begin the long task of healing the Planet. Red had done a little research before heading off on the journey. He now padded up to a small house - newly built, it stood a little apart from the others - where he recognized the scent of Cloud.

The door was a slight bit open, and he pushed it with his nose. "Cloud?"

A voice from inside: "Red? Is that you?"

Red pushed the door the rest of the way and padded into the small house. "Of course."

The house was freshly built and still smelled a bit like freshly cut wood and mortar. The furnishings were simple. Red continued through a small living room into the kitchen, where Cloud Strife sat at a wooden table drinking coffee. His warrior's garb had vanished; he wore a simple t-shirt and dark pants.

"Hey!" he said, seeing Red. "That was a fast trip."

Red grinned at his friend. "We of Cosmo Canyon travel fast and light," he said, settling his canine form next to the table and curling his burning tail around his legs.

"And carry a mean bite," Cloud said, returning the grin. "It's great to see you."

Red marveled for a second at how - well, how lighthearted Cloud was now. The month of rest must have done wonders to him. He finally seemed relaxed; he was joking around and smiling, and energetic about his life.

"Who else is coming?" Red asked, nosing a small pastry on the table.

Cloud pushed it toward Red's muzzle, then leaned back in the chair. "Tifa's here ... well, not here," he said with a slight blush; "she's in her own house. She'll probably be over today. Cid is coming in later this afternoon, once he gets himself out of bed." Cloud winked and continued. "Barrett is already in Midgar, with Marlene, working on repairs and such. Cait ... " Cloud paused. "Well, Cait Sith has been taken out of operation. However, Reeve has expressed a desire to help us in our reparations."

"Wait," Red said, his mouth half full of pastry. "Reeve? Of the Shinra Reeve?"

Cloud nodded. "Of the EX-Shinra. They've dismantled the company; most of its upper employees are dead anyway. The Turks have taken charge of what used to be Shinra and are now behind some of the most advanced schemes for new power systems in the world."

"The _Turks_?" Red shook his mane in disbelief. "They're still around?"

A voice from behind him spoke: "Yes, they're all 'up and kicking', as you say."

"Vincent," Cloud said, smiling. "Hello again."

Red turned on his haunches to welcome the tall, dark man. "Vincent," he said, with a small nod. The caped man returned his formality and sat at a chair at Cloud's table.

"Yes, the Turks are still around," Vincent continued. "And although still up to scheming and sneaky dealing, they don't seem to be up to evil anymore. They've turned Shinra into a larger company called Solar Collective, which is run by a Board of Directors instead of a President. And yes, all of the Turks sit on the Board, but they have invited in select others who have knowledge and experience."

"I don't believe it," Red said, smiling. "The Turks are going good?"

Cloud offered Vincent a cup of coffee, but Vincent refused, shaking his long, dark locks. Somehow, the thought of Vincent Valentine with a home-brewed cup of coffee made Red want to giggle.

"Not going good, Red, so much as they've recognized a profit." Cloud sat back down. "Think about it. We're all going to need power - as in energy - soon, now that Mako Reactors have been banned. The Turks have the biggest 'in' with all the research and information Shinra has. They realized a chance to make themselves a very prominent place in the world, along with a ton of money. It's a very clever move."

Vincent shifted in his chair. "The thing is this - although the Turks aren't really our friends, I believe we can now cross them off on our list of enemies."

"You sure?" Red asked. "Cause that's quite a relief."

Vincent nodded slightly. "From what I've seen, they're much better off now, and wouldn't bother us."

Red cocked his head. "If you don't mind my asking, Vincent, where have you been these past couple weeks? Where'd you go?"

Vincent's lips twisted. "I had a few things to take care of," he said, "then I returned to the Shinra Mansion here in Nibelheim."

"He's been going over a lot of the old Shinra notes and information," Cloud offered. "Been scouring the stuff they left in that little laboratory and library down there."

"There's quite a bit of information. Most of the notes are Hojo's." Vincent's red eyes flared momentarily. "But some of it is useful for us."

Red's eyes lit up at the mention of research. "Really? I've been going through Grandfather's old books and notes. We should compare what we've gotten." Although a dark and enigmatic man, Vincent's intelligence had never been in question, and Red was eager to discuss anything having to do with knowledge.

Vincent gave the _cosmoe_ a small friendly smile. "Perhaps we will, Nanaki."

After the small breakfast had ended, the three headed out into the town. Though she was alone, Tifa had kept the large old family house. Red heard the sound of a piano - some skillful artist teased the keys, bringing the melody of _Clair De Lune_ out a window. "Is that a recording?"

"Nope," Cloud said. "That's Tifa."

"You're _kidding_," Red said. "That's Tifa?"

Cloud nodded. "She's always had a gift for the piano. She's been playing a lot since ... since we got home."

Red asked quietly: "How are things between you two?"

Cloud hung his head. "I don't know. Same as ever. We're still friends." Red decided wisely to not ask anything more and approached the house, ringing the small bell.

The song abruptly stopped, followed by the less musical sound of someone pounding down the stairs. Tifa threw the door open and gasped. "Red!" she exclaimed, grinning and throwing her arms around his neck. Red broke into a smile himself and gave Tifa a brief nuzzle. "How are you, Tifa?" he asked once she had detached herself.

"Not bad. Much better now," she said, straightening. She had traded in her fighting garb for a long pair of jeans and a striped sweater. She looked at Vincent. "I don't suppose you'd care to be welcomed in the same way, Vincent. So I'll watch myself."

Vincent actually smiled. "Hello, Tifa. Good to see you again."

"And Cloud." She gave her old friend a dazzling smile. "Fancy meeting you here." Cloud returned the smile; Tifa shook her hair from her face and looked back at the others. "So what's up for the day?"

"Well," Cloud said, "Cid should be in this afternoon to pick us all up. Barrett is already in Midgar. Yuffie is taking care of business in Wutai, but will take a boat and meet us in Midgar to help when she's done. I told her to just call PHS." He grinned. "And Cait Sith ... well, the robot was dismantled, but Reeve has offered his assistance."

Tifa whistled. "Reeve. Alright, then. You guys care to come in?"

The afternoon was not long; the old friends caught up on each other's lives. Tifa had come home to relax and heal; Cloud had done much the same. The two had worked together for a while on Cloud's new house, then spent a little time apart. Vincent had joined them in Nibelheim soon after the house was done - "to avoid all the work, I'm sure," Tifa said with a grin, at which Vincent growled - and spent most of his days deep in the dark of the Mansion basement. Red filled them in on the work he had done in Cosmo Canyon with Bugenhagen's information. 

Soon, a loud whirring noise passed overhead, and Tifa leapt up. "There's Cid," she said. "Let's get ready to go."

Red walked to the door. "You and Cloud go get ready. Vince and I will talk to Cid."

Sure enough, the Highwind sat just beyond the outskirts of the town. As Vincent and Red approached, they could see a tall, thin man vault himself off of the edge and land superbly in the grass below. He straightened as they approached and tossed his cigarette. "Hey!"

"Hello, Cid," Red answered. "How's the ship?"

"Better n'ever!" Cid said with a grin. "Fixed 'er all up last month. She's been ready to go for a week!"

Vincent appraised the ship. "Impressive, Cid. Good work."

"Of course it's good work!" Cid replied, but with a sarcastic grin. "Thanks, Vince," he added.

A shout from behind turned all their heads. Cloud and Tifa were approaching, dressed in their working garb. Cid let out a whoop. "Let's get these engines going!"

The trip was short and much smoother than in the past; everyone commented on 

the flight improvements, which made Cid swear with pride. Tifa spent much of the flight above-decks, peering over the edge, wind in her hair. Below her she watched the ocean pass by. It was unbelievable, she thought, that just a month ago, Emerald Weapon had hidden there. It was unbelievable that so much had happened ...

Tifa Lockheart closed her eyes and let the wind blow her memories away.

  
  


They had reached Midgar in very little time, and Cid zeroed in on the area where Barrett was very quickly. It wasn't hard; Cid had made an intelligent guess, and it was easy to pick out the clear spaces from the piles of ruins in the Sector 7 Slums. Barrett and some friends of his had cleared off Seventh Heaven - the old bar and Avalanche hideout - which brought tears to Tifa's eyes when she saw it. Staying with Barrett were Marlene and Elmyra, the woman who had been Aeris's surrogate mother and Marlene's sometime protector. Both had survived the destruction and chaos in Midgar; according to Elmyra, Aeris's church had barely been touched by the disaster. The woman and the young girl had set up a pseudo-hospital among the golden flowers, healing and caring for the wounded. Barrett had found them a few weeks ago and persuaded them to come with him to Sector 7, where they had set up a central headquarters of sorts for the reconstruction of Midgar.

Barrett, however, was losing hope, which he expressed soon after a hasty reunion. "The city's trashed to pieces!" he said furiously. "Everything's a gigantic mess. We've scoured the city and gotten what we can, but it looks real damn hopeless. We may just have to clean up what we can and move on - let Mother Nature do her part."

Red tilted his head. "You've been all over the city?"

"What's left of it," Barrett replied. "A lot of it was destroyed even before Meteor and Holy duked it out three feet above the mess. The only place we haven't gone to yet is the rubble that was Shinra HQ. I have a good mind to just let it rot."

Vincent shook his head slowly. "That's a place we should go. Someone should explore it, make sure there's nothing left. They had a lot of equipment and information stored there, if for the wrong reasons."

Barrett said, "According to the people who've come back here, there are monsters prowling it. So I think we're just the people for the job."

"How have the monsters been down here? In the slums?" Tifa was still staring at Seventh Heaven in wonderment.

"There haven't been too many, and nothin' I can't handle," said the large black man proudly. "I guess most of 'em have stuck together in the center of the city."

Cid grinned. "Then I say we go and kick them the hell out!"

They spent the evening in Barrett's bar-turned-complex. He had done quite a good job with it; and once people had heard that someone was helping Midgar, they had flocked to him by the handful. Teams of workers scoured the wreckage and sent the injured back to Seventh Heaven; a team of doctors and nurses, headed by Elmyra and assisted by the little Marlene, patched up wounds. Later on, Barrett and a group of contacts searched out safe places for people to stay, far away. Some went to relatives; some went to entirely new lands. But slowly and surely, Midgar was emptying itself of human life.

Tifa stayed up late, after everyone had gone to bed. She sat on a stool remarkably like her own behind the bar (which now served as a pseudo-reception area). Her thoughts and memories echoed inside the small room ... old members of Avalanche, grinning and joking around as they ordered drinks and sandwiches; the absurdly young Marlene insisting that she could wait tables. They were all connected with ghosts now, haunting her thoughts. She twiddled her fingers on the woodwork of the bar in a long-forgotten habit. She could still hear Barrett in the meeting room beneath her, yelling orders; she could see the tall, spiky-haired man standing in the door, watching her ...

Wait. She cleared her head of the memories, but Cloud remained in the doorway. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey." He looked at her, then pulled another stool up to the bar.

"Want a drink?" she asked.

He gave her a lopsided smile. "Give me something hard."

Instinctively she reached for one of the cabinets, only to find a stack of disordered papers and a few dirty plates. "You'll have to wait on that. The place seems to have changed ownership."

Cloud bowed his head. "What are you out here for?"

"Peace and quiet," she quipped. "You know Cid and Barrett both snore, and Red howls in his sleep."

Cloud laughed out loud at her quick retort. "Tifa, you're really something. And you know what I meant."

She smiled. "I can't help it. Being back here ... it's hard. Once we left ... I never thought I'd come back." Her eyes glazed over the corner which had once held a small replica of her piano. "And now ... as empty as it is, the place is too full."

"Memories?" Cloud had begun to play with the woodwork as well, she noticed.

"Yes. And no." Tifa sighed. "Memories of people who aren't here and should be. Memories of a life that's gone. Not that my life in the slums, at the bar, was anything ecstatically grand. But ... it was. It was a part of me. And now ..." she stopped.

Cloud was silent and she realized she may have said too much. _No matter, Lockheart. You told yourself a while ago to be honest to him._ "What about you?"

Cloud gave her that lopsided smile again. "Cid was snoring."

Tifa burst out laughing. Their eyes met, briefly, twinkling with humor. _This is how it should be_...

Then Cloud stood, bowing his head in mock politeness. "I leave you now, lady, and return to my noisy bed."

"You don't have to go," she said before she thought. Cloud paused, turning back to her.

"We both need sleep, Tifa," he said gently. "There'll be lots of hard work and probably some fighting tomorrow."

She nodded. "Right. Good night, Mr. Strife."

He smiled. "And a good night to you, Miss Lockheart." He turned and went back down the stairs.

Tifa stared for a while longer at the empty tables in the room before curling up behind the bar in a dreamless sleep.


	2. Ch2: Buried Secrets

Chapter 2: Buried Secrets

  
  


"Dammit!" Cid's yell echoed across the ruins of Midgar. Heads turned, merely to see the thin man violently prying his foot out of a giant pile of wreckage. Tifa's laugh rang out.

"What is it now? Are you stuck again?"

"Watch it, Lockheart." He made a menacing gesture with his spear. "Or I'll get _you_ stuck."

Red bounded from piece to piece of what seemed to be machinery left over from the fall of the upper plate. "Here," he said, grabbing the offending piece of sheet metal in his teeth and pulling. Cid wrenched his leg free with a stream of curse words. Red grinned. 

Cid glared down at him. "How come you find this so easy?"

"Simple," Red laughed. "My weight's more easily distributed than yours 'cause I have four paws instead of two feet."

"Yeah, Cid," Tifa called from ahead. "Why don't you try crawling on all fours?"

Cid growled. "Why don't you try _running_, Lockheart? Cause once I get up there..." He carefully began to pick his way toward the front where Barrett and Tifa were leading the expedition. Red laughed and fell to the back to accompany Cloud and Vincent, who were holding the rear, keeping an eye out for any of the rumored monsters.

"Seen anything, Red?" Cloud asked. "Or smelled anything?"

"Nope." Red shook his head, braids swinging. "At least, nothing malicious. I've been picking up faint scents of humans and a great deal of Mako. But nothing alive or urgent."

"Good." Vincent carefully picked his way among the rubble, balancing with his clawed hand when needed. The good arm stayed close to the gun tucked in his belt.

"What do you think'll be in the Shinra HQ?" Red asked, jumping nimbly as the metal bars beneath him began to collapse. "What could be left?"

"Lots of stuff," Cloud said. "As bad as the city is, the HQ was relatively well built. Probably no people; probably monsters; and probably real interesting junk."

"The basement is most likely untouched as well," Vincent added, then stopped momentarily at the look on Cloud's face. "What?"

"You're _kidding_," Cloud said. "How much of a basement?"

"A fairly extensive one." Vincent's face darkened. "Full of Hojo's more ... private labs, as well as a decent amount of storage space. Treasures, maps, experiments. It was very well protected and probably withstood most of the attack."

"I don't believe it. An entire basement full of Shinra's closets?" Red shook his head in exasperation. "We have all the luck."

"Right," Cloud said, rolling his eyes. "Well -"

"DAMMIT!" Cid's gangly form vanished from view again.

Cloud laughed. "What he said."

  
  


The remains of the Shinra Headquarters were quite impressive. Most of the 70-story building had crashed to pieces, but remained, scattered, in surprisingly intact pieces around the area. Cloud sighed. "Vincent says there's a basement which probably stayed intact throughout the destruction. My guess is this entire place is teeming with monsters."

Red nodded. "It feels like it."

"Then how about this?" Cloud asked. "We'll split into two groups. Two of you will come with me to check out this basement. The other three will explore the remaining wreckage. We'll meet back here at the end of the day, unless there are problems, in which case, call PHS."

"I'll go with you, Cloud," said Tifa. "I want to see the storerooms."

"Vincent?" Cloud asked, but the dark man shook his head.

"I will show you the entrance," Vincent said slowly, "but I have ...no desire to see the basement again. I will explore the upper floors."

"Then I'll go with you, Vince," said Red. "I don't think I want any more of those labs, either."

They soon split off; Barrett traveled with Cloud and Tifa, while Cid followed Vincent and Red: "There's no way I'm going down into the basement where I can trip on more shit," he said, with a laugh.

"Take care," Cloud said. "We'll come back here at dusk and set up camp."

  
  


Vincent, Red, and Cid climbed upwards into the first large piece of building. The interior was dimly lit, and covered in dust. A few bodies lay scattered around, and even the fierce Red winced a bit. _So much death,_ he thought. _Such a price_. 

"Shit," Cid muttered. "This place is smashed to bajeezus and back. There's not going to be anything in here."

"Perhaps." Vincent walked carefully through the wreckage and peered up a staircase. "That's what we want to make sure. We should find the upper floors - that's where the libraries were, as well as the upper labs and all the bureaucratic stuff."

"How do you know so much about Shinra?" Red asked.

"Hey, he used to be a Turk, y'know," Cid said. Red shot him a look.

"Not only that," Vincent said smoothly, unperturbed, "but I've done a lot of research on this place in the past month."

They continued on; crawling, at times, when necessary (Cid swore some more), but walking when they could. The first chunk of building proved decently empty; the second, however, was a little more successful.

"Damn!" Cid whistled at the sight of all the Materia lying on the ground. The room glowed faintly green with the shimmering energy. "Some storehouse must have broken. There's at least a dozen in here!"

"Good stuff, too," Red said, nosing it. "This one's been mastered."

They picked them up and tested them, one by one. It must have been some Shinra Executive's personal collection, for they were all the basic spells in mastered condition: Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Restore, Revive. They had grabbed seven or eight when they heard a slight rumbling from the door behind them.

"Red?" Cid asked. "Your tummy growling?"

Red turned slowly to face the gaping black door. "Nope," he said quietly. "Something else."

Vincent turned as well and drew out his long gun. "Must've been drawn by the Materia," he said, also quiet. For a second, nothing happened; the three stood, poised to attack, eyes fixed on the door before them.

Then suddenly a pair of creatures sprung out at them, landing on four clawed feet and growling menacingly. They were huge, scaly beasts, covered in thick brown scales with blackened horns. Red barked once, a quick call to battle, and leapt in, piercing the closest beast with both his fangs and the deadly points of the Limited Moon.

Their fighting style had not waned in the month they had been apart. They had adapted a system of taking quick turns in battle. This way, there was no chance of damaging a lingering ally with a huge Fire spell; there was also a chance for each member of the fighting party to heal or recover. As Red bounded back out of the enemy's reach, Cid followed up with a swing of his giant spear. Vincent had retreated to the back and took aim upon the beast once Cid had backed away. Red dove in again, fiercely slashing the creature, who fell at his attack. The second one swung and hit Cid in the upper arm with a long, heavy tail; Cid swore loudly and cracked the beast upside the head with the butt end of his spear. Vincent, from the back row, sent a healthy amount of Cure in Cid's direction while Red, wary of the second beast, summoned Lightning from the sky onto the beast's head. Cid followed with a blast of Fire, and Vincent's expert aim brought the creature to the floor.

Red stretched and panted a bit. "Everyone alright?"

"Damn," Cid said. "Let's grab this Materia and get out of here."

Vincent twirled his gun around his finger in an absent habit and tucked it back in his belt. "Be alert. I'm guessing there are many such treasure troves in this building that have attracted weakened, starving beasts. Watch our backs."

They continued on. The next building was merely full of what had been the weight room; one sniff from Red and they moved past it. Climbing through the rubble, using Fire when necessary to light up darkened passages, they found a couple cabinets stocked with health items: Hi-Potions, read the labels. Hi-Ether. They also found a trunk full of newly-born materia, shining with promise and utterly empty of experience. "Let's give this to Yuffie," Cid said with a grin. "I'm sure she'll love having to train it herself."

The next building held a slew of dead bodies no one wanted to truck through. Vincent shuddered. _What is happening, that even I become averse to death?_ They finally reached the largest, still-standing piece and went inside.

  
  


Cloud, Barrett, and Tifa had cleared away some of the debris and found a gaping hole beneath where Shinra HQ had once stood. "Scary," Tifa said. "To think there was an entire set of floors beneath the tower."

They dropped down quietly, and Cloud lit a long piece of wood on fire to guide them. The basement stank of disuse, but was - as Vincent predicted - relatively intact. Here and there large holes in the ceiling let in pieces of fading sunlight. They traveled down a large hall, and found a strange diagram at the end.

"Bingo!" Barrett was pleased. "Here's a nice map. Labs, floor A. Storerooms, floors B, C, D. Damn! That many storerooms?"

Tifa made a face. "Probably full of stuff Shinra didn't want anybody to find."

"Like what?" Barrett asked. "Dead bodies?"

"Shh!" Tifa shuddered. "Stop that!"

They descended a nearby staircase into a strange world. Long, twisting pieces of pipe and glass tubing arced over strange vats and half-partitions. Odd capsules stood in long lines, some full of unrecognizable, dark liquids. An eerie half-light permeated the room, a veritable maze of consoles, desks, tables, and Mako pods. "Hojo," Cloud whispered. 

He followed a small clearing in the mess that may have served as a hallway. Surrounding them were rotting and dripping vials and tubes, obviously neglected for quite some time. One large vat had broken open, and whatever clumpy life form had been housed inside it had met its demise on the floor, drowned in its own ooze. Cloud carefully sidestepped it, then froze. In front of them had been a sound.

Tifa's head snapped up from the grotesque form on the cement. "Cloud?" she whispered.

Cloud never turned his head. "There's something up there," he said. Barrett came to stand beside Tifa. "Let's go," Cloud whispered, raising his sword before him.

They tiptoed through the eerie lab, wanting to regain the power of surprise on any enemy before them. Around them, the sounds of liquid dripping on the cold floor made Tifa shiver. _Oh, come on,_ she told herself sternly. _Focus!_

Cloud turned a corner and stopped abruptly. Before him lay a puddle of blue-green ooze, spilled across the floor. Half of a broken vat still held the remainder of the fluid, and from it lapped a very odd creature looking like a genetic cross between a dragon and a dinosaur. It heard Cloud's last footstep and looked up, narrowing slender eyes, glowing blue fluid dripping from its jaws. For a moment, no one moved. Then the creature leapt up with a growl, clawing Cloud across the arm before he swung his sword and knocked it back into the puddle. It slipped a little, looking for traction, then hurled itself at Tifa. A well-aimed Fire spell from her gloved hands caught it across the stomach and threw it backwards. Barrett fired a round from his gun-arm, raking a line of holes across the black flesh. 

Undaunted, the creature leapt back to its feet, pacing back and forth in the blue slime. Cloud tucked his sword away and concentrated, calling forth the spell of Flare. The creature shrieked as it felt itself wrapped in the fiery sphere. As it landed, Tifa ran forward and quickly pummeled the beast, feeling the solid edges of her gloves strike its wounded flesh. It snapped at her as she retreated; she slipped and would have taken quite a beating if Barrett's gun-arm hadn't thrown it off of her with the force of the bullets.

And yet, the monster stood. "Flare didn't kill it?" Tifa asked in disbelief as Cloud slipped in the blue ooze and missed. "Careful!" he shouted. "We'd better stick to magic!" Tifa summoned a powerful Lightning spell, temporarily stunning the creature for another round from Barrett. Cloud sighed, then concentrated again, casting Freeze on the creature. This time, it fell to the ground, unmoving. Tifa threw Lightning at it for good measure, and the body disintegrated. 

"Damn!" Barrett ran his fingers over the Materia in his gun-arm; finding Restore, he cast a nice healing spell over them all. "Was that one of Hojo's?"

"I don't know," said Cloud. He was still tense from the battle. "Let's continue on. Be ready."

They carefully sidestepped the blue puddle on the floor and continued down a darkened hallway. In one room off the hallway stood a bunch of specimens of animals, apparently stuffed. A small shuffle in front of them drew everyone's attention.

"Cloud? Do you see that?" The doorframe was bathed in a strange silver glow.

"Yeah." He tightened his grip on the sword. "Be ready." 

They entered the room in a rush, weapons raised - but stopped in surprise. Before them stood a strange figure - seemingly human, though male or female, they couldn't tell. It was clothed in loose-fitting, standard issue lab garb, yet bathed in a shimmering silver light. Its eyes glowed, golden spheres in a thin face. It was perched atop a pile of cabinets, watching them.

"Who are you?" Its voice clearly identified it as female.

"Who are _you?_" Cloud asked. "We don't want to hurt you, if you can understand us."

"Understand...?" The glowing figure shifted around on the filing cabinets. "Who are you?"

"Well ... " Cloud looked at the others for guidance, then shrugged the typical shrug. "My name is Cloud, that other man is Barrett, and this young woman is Tifa."

The girl before them just stared. "Your name is?" Tifa ventured.

She continued to stare. "I don't have a name."

"You _what?_" Barrett began, before Tifa hushed him. 

"I don't have a name," she said straightforwardly. "I'm a project."

Cloud took a step toward the girl, tentatively. "Will you come down and talk with us? We're not going to hurt you."

"At once." The girl leapt nimbly, reminiscent of Red, and sat down on the floor in front of them. The silver glow around her faded, though her eyes still shone faintly with golden light. 

Cloud gestured to Tifa, then turned around, picking up the PHS and pressing the 'Call' button. After a ring or two, he heard Cid's gruff voice: "Yeah?"

"Hey. Just checking in. What have you guys got?"

Cid grunted. "Some Materia ... some potions ... some monsters. Nothin' real exciting. There ain't shit here."

"Well, then, come down here. You won't believe what we found."

Cid cursed. "Where are you?"

"Basement, first floor. Red should be able to smell us out. Hurry!" 

Meanwhile, Tifa had sat down in front of the girl. Her face was blank of emotion or thought as she stared at Tifa. Her skin was very white and thin, and she had black hair chopped short - rather unevenly - to about her ears. Large chunks of it fell into her golden eyes. Finally, Tifa had to say something.

"So what are you doing down here?"

The girl's eyebrow raised slightly. "I've always been down here."

"Here? In the labs?"

The girl nodded. "I'm a project."

Tifa bit her lip. "Alright." She didn't quite know what to say to the figure before her. "How long have you been here?"

"I've always been down here," the girl repeated.

Barrett eased himself down onto the floor. "What sort of project, girl?"

She cocked her head, looking at him for a brief second. "Where are you guys from?"

"What?" Barrett was caught off his guard.

"You're not white coats. You're not blue suits. I've never seen you before." The girl straightened her head, black pieces of hair falling in her eyes.

"Where did you come from?" No answer.

"Do you know - " Tifa's question was cut off by the sounds of footsteps and a sudden gasp behind her.

"_The Aurora Project_?"

Vincent's voice was hushed as he walked forward from the shadows. Behind him, Red and Cid materialized. He crouched in front of the girl, who just looked at him as she looked at everyone else. Glowing eyes met: red and gold.

Finally, she looked up. "He knows what I am," she said, as in explanation.

"What's that?" Tifa asked.

"The Aurora Project," Vincent and the young girl spoke in unison.

She then looked at him, her eyes clear. "How do you know what I am?" she asked. He was kneeling in front of her, and she met his eyes with no pretense - almost as if her thought was not her own.

"I remember you ... and I read about you ... this past month ... wait!" He reached out and tentatively touched her face. Tifa stifled a gasp; never in the time she had known Vincent had she _ever_ seen him voluntarily touch someone. The girl simply looked at him, resigning herself to being poked and prodded once more. Gently, Vincent brushed her bangs away from her face. Beneath the ragged black hair lay a thin band of metal with some sort of jewels embedded in it. Vincent pried it from her forehead. The girl blinked.

"What is that?" she asked, with a little more life in her voice.

Vincent held it in his hand, almost shaking in fury. "Look here," he said, turning to Cloud and prying away a piece of the metal. The tiny cusps didn't hold jewels; instead, they held smoothed and rounded pieces of yellow Materia. Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Is that ...?"

"Manipulate Materia," Vincent said. 

There was a strange silence. Then Cloud looked at the figure on the ground and sighed. "What is she?" he asked.

But before Vincent could answer, the girl had moved in front of him once more, staring into his face. "I remember you," she said, on the verge of emotion. She reached out with a hand and touched his hair. Tifa stifled yet another gasp; but Vincent did not flinch, or even blink. He just looked at her with something resembling compassion - as strange an emotion as that was to find on the face of Vincent Valentine. She was very close to him, almost in his lap, and gestured to his glowing eyes and then her own. 

"Hojo put beasts in you," she said matter-of-factly. "You came to the lab and screamed."

"Yes," Vincent conceded after a long pause, "that was I."

Footfalls echoed in the room, and Red approached the girl. "Wait. You were with Hojo when I was captive here ..."

Her eyes widened at the sight of the beast. "You are ..." Then her eyes focused on something and she almost gasped. She reached a hand out unashamedly and touched one of Red's many tattoos - XIII, it read on his shoulder. She stroked it. "You're number thirteen," she said. "You ran away from Hojo. Look."

She pushed up the sleeve of her oversized t-shirt. Around her shoulder were very fine tattoo marks. As Red looked closer, his eyes caught numbers, scattered from about one to twenty, and letters - some sort of coding?

She peered at her own shoulder and then pointed out a number. "Number thirteen," she said, showing the beast her shoulder. Above a thin scar from a needle was tattooed: XIII.

Red gasped and stepped back. "What's that?"

"Hojo took a sample from you and put it in me."

"_What?_" Red was furious. "We're not even the same species! I knew he'd taken my blood, but I thought it was for research, not for ..."

She rolled her sleeve down. "He took some and put it in me. He did the same thing for almost all of his subjects." It was just a fact, like everything else she had said.

"Wait a second ..." Cloud pondered. He walked toward the girl and gestured to her sleeve. "May I see?"

"Of course," she said automatically, rolling up the sleeve again and waiting.

Cloud scanned the row of tattoos. Varied numbers from one to twenty, interspersed by some strange notation of letters. He squinted. Two right next to each other caught his eye: _C:I_ and _C:A_. His eyes widened in surprise. "What about these two?"

She looked down to where he was pointing. "Cetra," she said, like it was nothing.

"You're makin' this up, girl," Barrett growled. "Cetra, now?"

She nodded, her wide eyes staring down the large black man. Somehow, her open stare made him uncomfortable.

"Well, wait," said Cloud, drawing his fingers away from the girl's shoulder without touching her. "_I_ and _A_ ... the only Cetra Hojo ever came into contact with ..."

Tifa gasped. "Ilfalna and Aeris," she said, her voice hushed.

Cid spat on the floor. "Holy shit."

Vincent nodded. "I believe so. All of Hojo's records ... agree with what the girl has said."

He stood up and slowly backed away from the girl on the floor. She remained, sitting, her knees drawn up to her chin. 

"Girl, you have Cetra in you?" Barrett demanded gruffly. She nodded. "And you have some of ... some of Red in you?" She nodded again. "Well, what else?" he prodded.

She tilted her head. "I was formed from a combination of cells from Cetra, _cosmoe_, and a variety of humans, bathed in Mako directly from the Lifestream." She recited it as if it were a recipe, making Tifa twinge in disgust. "Later in my life, I was injected with additional samples, here." She gestured to her shoulder. "I currently carry inside of me a mix of twenty-three different bloodlines and the magical powers thereof."

"But you're _human!_" Tifa stepped forward and crouched, looking at the girl. "You're a person, too."

"Yes, I am human," the girl replied, seemingly not noticing the emotion in Tifa's voice. "Among other things."

Tifa's eyes were full of sadness. "At least tell us your name."

The girl straightened her head. "I am the Aurora Project," she said simply.

"Can we call you Aurora?" Cloud asked, kindly. He reached down and placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder. 

"Of course." The girl nodded decisively.

Barrett let out a huge sigh and sat down on an upturned bookshelf. "It's about time to camp for the night, Cloud. Looks like we're stayin' down here for now."

  
  


They had set up a tent and dragged out the sleeping bags. In the center of the dimly lit room burned a small fire, lit by Materia and fueled by the bookshelf Barrett had found. They gathered around it to cook their rations for dinner, and more for the light than anything.

At the edge of the fire's glow lay the young girl - Aurora. She had almost immediately curled up into a ball and drifted off into sleep. They noticed that the silver sheen returned to her when she slept, covering her body with a faint light. "Some sort of shield?" Red had guessed. "A protection?"

Now everyone's eyes kept returning to her. Finally Cloud became too curious and asked: "Vincent, what is she? What have you found in your research about her?"

Vincent bowed his head, shading his features with his long, dark hair. "The most eccentric and strange of all of Hojo's experiments ...and yet, perhaps, the most graceful."

This enigmatic answer was not enough for Cloud. "But what was she ... well, made for? Is all that stuff really in her?"

Vincent sighed. "She truly is a composite. From what I discovered in Hojo's writings ... well, she is a one-of-a-kind experiment. As she told you, she came from an altered human embryo; injected with the strengths and blood of different species - human, Cetra, _cosmoe_ - it's a surprise she came out so ... normally. She was never a child; Hojo sped up her development to an age where she could be appropriately ...tinkered with and observed."

"What?" A look of utter revulsion came over Tifa's face. 

"Well, Hojo made her as a unique specimen with which he could play games." Vincent's face echoed Tifa's disgust. "With so many samples combined, her response to anything was very likely to be unique and interesting. He would give her bits of everything else he found - hence, Red and Aeris - to see how she reacted. His notes spell out in detail everything that ...he gave her."

"Where are the notes?"

"Library at Nibelheim." Vincent smiled wryly. "I never thought my research would have proved so ...useful."

"So," Cloud asked carefully, "what do you remember about Hojo's experiments?" Vincent gave him a strange look and he shrugged. "I just want to make sure we're not going to wake up in the middle of the night with knives at our throats, or on fire. I have a feeling this girl's going to be coming with us, and I want to know what to expect."

Vincent shook his head, a strange smile playing across his dark lips. "Well ...very close to anything you can imagine has been injected into that poor girl. Mako, of course. Liquid Materia. Lifestream. Dragon's blood." He stood abruptly. "Excuse me." Cloud gestured, but with a leap Vincent was gone, into the dark shadows of the room.

"Must have hit something close there," Cid said, lighting a cigarette. 

"Vincent likes the shadows," Red said. "He'll be alright. I think it's just ...the fact that the girl knew him."

Tifa turned to Cloud. "I'm assuming we're taking her with us."

Cloud shrugged, a helpless look on his face. "I guess. I don't know what else to do with her. She can't stay here by herself any longer; someone has to tell her that Hojo is dead, and no one will care for her anymore. And it's not like she can go back to her family somewhere. I think we should keep an eye on her."

"Mako." Cid whistled. "Materia. How do you get that in somebody?"

"If you're Hojo, you don't care," said Red. "You just ...do it and watch what happens."

All eyes turned to the girl. Ageless in her sleep, covered in her shimmering silver cloak, she seemed other-worldly, strange. A footstep behind them made them all turn; Vincent's dark head peered in the door.

"One other, very important thing," he said. "There were two things Hojo was fanatically careful to never mix into Aurora's blood: Sephiroth and Jenova."


	3. Ch3: New and Old Companions

Chapter 3: New and Old Companions

  
  


Cloud Strife awoke to the sound of the PHS phone ringing in his ear.

Quickly moving away from the others, he fumbled with the little controls on the phone. "Ya?" His voice was muffled by sleep.

"Mornin', Cloud!" Yuffie's unmistakable voice rang through the tiny speaker. "You sound awake."

"Mmpf." Cloud rubbed his hands across his face. "What can we do for you, Yuffie?"

There was an intake of breath. "I'm not gonna be able to come out to Midgar," she said. "There's a lot of stuff for me to take care of ...here in Wutai ...and my father insists I work more on training as well..."

"That's alright," Cloud said, his voice still not fully awake. "Our plans have ...well, they've changed a little bit."

"Alright, then!" Yuffie said. "I just wanted to make sure you all didn't miss me tons and tons. We'll party down in Midgar at some other point, ok?"

Cloud rolled his tired eyes at the chipperness of youth. "Sure thing, Yuffie. Thanks for calling." After hearing an almost squeaky "Bye!" he turned off the phone as fast as he could.

Being the first one awake, he automatically headed to start the fire - only to find Vincent next to a nicely burning blaze.

"Morning," Cloud said without an ounce of cheerfulness in his tone.

"Yuffie?" Vincent asked knowingly. Cloud nodded, surprised to find Vincent sympathetic. He waved the PHS knowingly before tucking it away in his pocket. He watched as Vincent's eyes migrated across the room, through the fire, and onto the sleeping, still gently shimmering form of Aurora.

"What do we do with her?" Cloud asked. Vincent was silent, then finally shrugged and stood up.

"Vince, please." Cloud gestured to the seat beside him on the makeshift bench. "Listen. You know the most about this girl, not only through your lucky research, but through your own past experiences ...I know it's hard for you, but please, help us deal with her. I never thought it was possible to inject Materia into someone's blood until yesterday. I still find it hard to believe that she's related to Red. We need you and your knowledge, Vincent." He gestured at the sleeping form. "She needs you. For a little while at least."

Vincent closed his red eyes for a moment, thinking hard. _I do not want to go back ...every glance at her hurts! Not only in memory, but for her, and what she has known ...I only had months of it, and then years of solitude. She has had an entire lifetime._ Abruptly, he sat down beside Cloud and gave the blond man a ragged grin. "Alright, Cloud. Perhaps caring for this girl will lighten some of my burden as well."

Cloud grinned, looking him directly in the eye and faintly sensing a change that he hadn't noticed in the past month, in Nibelheim. _Is he getting over his guilt, now that he's found someone worse off than he?_ "Thank you. Now, what do you propose we do?"

Vincent thought for a second. "I think we need to wake her now, before everyone else is here. She needs to hear that Hojo is dead and not coming back. I don't know what reaction that will produce inside her. She seems to have no emotion." _I almost envy her that_.

Cloud nodded. "Right." He craned his neck over the fire, looking at the prostrate form. "Aurora?"

The reaction was astounding. The silver glow abruptly faded, sucked back into her skin. She sat bolt upright, immediately awake. Her golden eyes focused first on Cloud, moved briefly to Vincent, then back to Cloud. "Yes?"

Cloud blinked. "Good morning."

She nodded. "Yes."

Cloud moved a bit on the bench and patted a place beside him. "Aurora, can we talk?"

"Talk?" She looked a little confused, but came obediently over and sat beside him. "Go ahead."

Her machine-like, programmed responses were beginning to get on Cloud's nerves; the early phone call from Yuffie hadn't helped. "Aurora, we have something very important you need to know." Her golden eyes met his. "Aurora ...Professor Hojo is dead."

She simply looked at him. "Hojo is dead?"

"Yes, Aurora." Vincent's voice was strangely kind. "Hojo is not coming back to the labs at all."

She looked away for a brief second. "And you have come to take me to my new home?"

"No, no, Aurora." Cloud took a deep breath. "We didn't come looking for you. We didn't even know you were here. And now ...we don't know what to do with you."

"Where will I go now?" The expression on her face was changing, slowly. It looked a little like fear, though it was still so far away from true emotion that it was hard to tell.

"We don't know," Cloud said patiently. 

"I've never been anywhere but here. And ...I've never done anything else." 

Vincent leaned forward. "You don't want to go back into someone else's lab, do you?" She turned to him, luckily missing Cloud's face of shock and disgust.

Her eyes fixed on his, then turned away as she thought slowly. "No," she said, finally, "I don't think so. But I don't know anything else to do."

Vincent nodded encouragingly. "We're not going to send you back into the lab. But it's up to you to figure out what you want."

Cloud was amazed at the calm, straightforward tone Vincent was taking with the girl. He gathered his thoughts and spoke. "Aurora. Would you come with us?"

She turned and nodded immediately. "Of course," she responded.

Cloud shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. This isn't a command. Would you like to come with us?"

Aurora tilted her head; her black hair fell into her golden eyes again. "Would I like ...? I will come with you, Cloud," she said, nodding briefly.

"No, Aurora," Cloud began.

"No? I will not come with you?"

Cloud sighed and stood up. "I don't want to make you come with us. No one can make you do anything anymore! I'm offering to help you get used to the real world. But if you want to stay here, or head out on your own, you are allowed to. What I want, most of all, is for you to decide." He turned suddenly and left the small room.

Aurora stared at the fire. "He was yelling, Vincent Valentine," she said softly. "Why did Cloud yell?"

Vincent looked at her in wonder. "He was frustrated." 

She nodded. "Hojo got frustrated a lot. When things didn't go as he wanted."

"Cloud's not Hojo, Aurora. Hojo's gone."

She bit her lip, then tilted her head again. "Vincent Valentine ...I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead." _How does she know my whole name? Does she remember me from that long ago?_

"Have you ever had pictures in your head?" He stared at her, his jaw dropping slightly. "Ones that come when you are asleep?"

"Oh," he said. "Yes, I have had that happen." _I have had too many of those_.

"Are they memories? They are like memories, but I don't think they really ever happened..."

He smiled slightly, hiding it behind his long hair. "No, they're called dreams. They're images coming from your head when you sleep."

She touched her forehead briefly; startled, she ran her fingers over it, before remembering. "When you took ...when you took Hojo's crown, did that make me have these dreams? I have never had that happen before. I have had pictures in my head from that thing -" she pointed as Vincent drew the crown from under his cape "- but never as I sleep."

"Do you know what this is, Aurora?" He took a breath. "This is what Hojo used to control you. My guess is, after we removed it, your mind was freed, allowing you to dream."

She leaned back, closing her eyes. "Do you want to hear my dreams, Vincent Valentine?"

_Again, my name. My full name. _"Yes, Aurora. Please tell me."

From behind, Tifa covered her mouth to hide a giggle. Vincent had said _please_! She had never heard him so talkative. Sitting down on her bedroll, she began combing out her hair, listening all the while. _Perhaps he's connected with her because they both knew Hojo. And their eyes glow. Whatever it is, at least he's not being such an enigma!_

The girl's eyes opened, landing their full golden gaze suddenly on Vincent's face. He stared back at her, surprised. "My ...dream ...was of a woman. She and I stood in the middle of a waterfall that glowed like the Mako Hojo has ...well, used to have. She looked at me and touched me on the forehead and whispered things, but I could hear her, even over the water. She said, 'I _am_ inside you,' and then smiled. She was very beautiful. 'Come to me,' she said. 'Come find me.' And then she left. Do dreams mean things, Vincent Valentine? I thought it was a memory, but I have only seen the girl once before, and it was not in a waterfall."

Vincent was completely caught off guard. First, her eyes! They had met his bravely like no one had since ...his transformation. And his name ... but that could wait. Second of all, her dream had reminded him of something...

"Wait." A voice behind her broke his thoughts. Tifa came forward and stood beside the fire. "Aurora, what did this girl look like?"

The girl tilted her head in the same old fashion. "She had very bright green eyes, almost glowing like ours." She gestured to herself and Vincent. "She had long, brown hair that she wore in a braid down her back ..."

"Aeris?" Tifa's worried eyes met Vincent's. He shrugged.

"Could be. Aurora, did you know her?"

"I knew her from the lab," the girl replied. "Hojo had her for a brief while."

At this point Cloud came stomping in the room. "Morning," he said. He came over to Aurora and took her hands.

"I'm sorry if I yelled. I don't like the mornings very much. But I _would_ like it if you would accompany us somewhere."

"Huh?" A sleepy Cid emerged from the tent. "What the hell?"

"Oh, great. Have some coffee," Tifa said. "In fact, have a bunch."

Cid sent her a sleepy-morning glower as he crouched over a mug. He nodded to the girl seated between Tifa and Vincent. "Mornin', Aurora."

"What is your name?" she asked almost timidly.

He perked up a little at the attention. "Didn't meet me yesterday? I'm Cid."

She nodded. "Does Cid not like mornings either?" she asked Cloud.

Cloud burst out laughing, as did Tifa; poor Aurora seemed startled at the outburst. "No, Aurora," Cloud said once he could talk, "Cid hates mornings more than I do." Cid grumbled into his coffee mug.

"What's on your mind, Cloud?" Tifa asked, reading his face with that intuition she seemed to have.

Cloud arranged himself carefully on the ground, removing the great sword strapped to his back. "Well ...a lot, actually. I had planned on taking this morning and asking you all to do me a favor and act on something I've been thinking about for a long time. But I don't know how Aurora's presence will change everything..."

"Act on something?" Cid asked. "Are we going somewhere?"

Cloud simply stared into the fire for quite some time, arranging his words. Finally, he looked up - at Cid, at Tifa, Vincent and Aurora, and a nod at Barrett, who approached from behind.

"I want to go find Aeris," he said softly. Tifa looked up at him, her eyes full of concern. Vincent opened his mouth to speak, but Tifa cut him off.

"Cloud, Aeris is gone," she said.

He sighed. "I know that. But ...I still swear I could hear her speaking to me. After Sephiroth. Through Holy and Meteor and everything. I could hear her voice." He bowed his head, staring intently at the fire. "I want to go find her and have her speak to us one last time. I want to make sure we can't bring her back in any way. We all have things we never got to say to her." He stood. "I was going to ask you all to come with me to look for a place where we can contact Aeris in the Lifestream. But now ..." He looked at Aurora. "Now we may have something else to take care of."

Aurora was still staring at him, trying to digest the emotion in his words, when Vincent spoke. 

"Aurora needs to come with us to see Aeris." He brushed long dark locks from his face; looking at Cloud, he said, "She dreamed of the Ancient last night."

Cloud gaped. "What?"

Vincent prodded Aurora: "Tell them about the pictures."

Aurora nodded, obeying instantly. "I've never done this before. While I slept, there were pictures in my head. I was standing with a lady in a waterfall that glowed like Hojo's Mako. She told me to come to her and touched me on the forehead." She absently rubbed the crown of her head where until previously the metal band had rested. "I said what she looked like, and Tifa thinks she knows who it is."

"Damn." Cid whistled. "This is getting spooky."

Barrett turned. "I'm gonna go wake up Red."

Vincent stood. "Excuse me," he said, directed mostly at Aurora, and walked away.

"Cloud," Tifa said. "Let me talk to you."

The two entered the next room. Cloud sat down on an upended table, while Tifa stood before him.

"Cloud, you know I will back you up on anything," Tifa began, "but ...I wanted to make sure that you understand what happened to Aeris." She ran a hand through her hair, slightly embarrassed. "I know that you and she were very close, and that you regret her death and wish it didn't happen. But that's no guarantee that you can undo it."

"What are you saying, Tifa?"

She sighed. "I want to tell you: there may not be a way to bring Aeris back. I will still go with you and look for her. But I don't want you to get your hopes up. She may not be coming back to life."

"I'm sure there's a way," Cloud said. "She's an Ancient. They could do anything."

"Yes," Tifa said, "but can we? No. And I don't want you to be heartbroken if we fail."

Back inside the room, Cid and Aurora sat around the dimming fire, as morning poured into small chinks in the walls and ceiling. Finally, Cid broke the silence. "Dammit, girl, don't keep staring. We can talk."

"What do we talk about?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Tell me about yourself."

"Everything I know about myself I told you yesterday." Her voice was clear and smooth. Cid was a bit startled. "You can tell me about yourself," she repeated his phrase.

"Alright." He grinned at her suddenly. "You ever been flying?"

Her blank stare was an answer. "Guess not. What's the farthest place you've ever been in your life?"

She gestured. "I've always been in these labs."

His eyes bulged. "No shit? Well, girl, I have stories for you. You know outside the labs? Outside the building?" 

She thought, and nodded vaguely. "I think I know what it looks like."

Cid leaned toward her. "Now imagine a machine - a huge machine - that can life you off the ground and carry you over the world. Faster than anything can walk or run. It floats in the air, so you can go over mountains and water as fast as you please."

Her eyes had widened. "How high?"

"Real high," he said proudly.

"Higher than the Shinra tower?" she said, obviously referring to the HQ.

Cid looked at her and nodded. "Way higher," he said. "Sometimes higher than the _Planet_."

If possible, the look on her face became even more incredulous. "Higher than the Planet? Mr Cid, are you making this up?"

He laughed. "No, no. If you're lucky, and real nice," he said with a wink, "you'll get to go in that machine today."

"What do I have to do?"

Cid blinked. "Oh, never mind. Let me tell you about flying."

Cloud and Tifa watched from the doorway. Rough old Cid and small, quiet Aurora made a strange pair - _although no stranger than her and Vincent_, Tifa thought. Cid went on and on, describing to the girl his wonderful aerial exploits. His voice was eager and full of pride; her eyes were huge as she listened, asking just the right questions in that calm, emotionless voice of hers to push Cid on into the next tale. He had just started telling her about his rocket when he looked up and saw the couple standing in the doorway.

Cid's face turned an interesting shade of pink. "Yeah, we were just talking," he said.

"Barrett," Tifa yelled. "Is Red even awake yet?"

A little yip came from the tent. Red's canine face poked itself out of the tent, mane all messed, braids everywhere, sleep in the deep eyes.

"How can I sleep -" he yawned -"with all this racket?"

Tifa laughed. "Come on, lazybones. Time to get up!"

Red exited the tent, grumbling and shaking his mane. "You didn't run from Cosmo Canyon to Nibelheim the other day. I think I'm entitled to be sleepy."

Aurora turned back to Cid. "Are we going to go in the sky?"

Cid grinned a huge grin at the small girl. "You bet!" Then, with a slight afterthought: "You scared?"

She looked at him, a little confused. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Cloud interrupted the interchange. "Hey, Aurora." Her face swung immediately to meet his. "Where we're going, there might be danger. Do you know how to fight?"

She nodded. "Of course. I was trained." She pointed down a corridor. "My things are this way."

Tifa stood. "I'll go with her and get her ready." The two girls walked down the corridor. Aurora turned the corner into a small room containing a lab table, some cabinets, a bookshelf, and a tiny bed with buckles on the sides. _Is this her room?_ Tifa wondered. Aurora opened a drawer and pulled out some smooth fabric. She took off the oversized lab shirt unabashedly - Tifa averted her eyes - and pulled it on. It turned out to be a dark-colored t-shirt of a tightly fitting material, over which she put a white tech vest. The next drawer held a similar pair of lab pants, which she changed into, fastening a belt overtop them. She then turned to the cabinets and flung the doors wide.

Inside were mounted a series of wicked-looking daggers. Tifa whistled. "Is that what you use?"

Aurora searched, finally pulling out two matching knives. "Twin daggers," she said. "I received training in most fighting styles, but Hojo said I was best with these." She twirled them around her fingers absently, then tucked them into two slits in the pants that must have contained scabbards. A drawer beneath the cabinet held two wristlets with the familiar slots for Materia. She fastened these around her wrists, and put a highly detailed silver band around her upper arm, over her tattoos. From another cabinet she pulled a pair of boots very much like Tifa's, and laced them, asking, "Is this all I will need?"

Tifa nodded. "You've got weapons and some defense and some space for Materia. That's pretty much all we use to fight."

"The wrist guards don't provide much defense," Aurora said. "But I have a built-in shield that will help me."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Shield?"

"Yes," Aurora said; closing her eyes briefly, she summoned the silver glow that coated her skin. "This is my protection."

Tifa nodded. "I think you're alright, Aurora."

She looked up at Tifa, and gave a tiny little smile - the first Tifa had seen on her face. "Thank you," she said.


	4. Ch4: Pursuit

II. Dreams and Shadows

Chapter 1: Pursuit

  
  


Daema slammed her fist down on the table. "What the hell?" Her voice was red-hot with anger. "Who'd you invite to this now?"

Khan narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that? This ain't your project."

"Well, no, but I'm in it!" Daema's dark blue eyes flashed. "And I don't want to see it fail now cause you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"The man said he already knew everything," Khan explained. "There weren't anything for me to do except play along."

"I'm not splittin' my share cause you invited along another pal," Daema retorted. "Especially without asking us." She nodded to the tawny-haired man in the corner. "Jak and I didn't have any input on this, and we both outnumber and outpower you."

"I told you," Khan said. "I didn't have any choice. He already knew the time of the meeting. I just told him we wouldn't shoot him first." He had noticed Daema's trigger-happy fingers grazing the top of her short pistol. She blushed and placed her hand back in the pocket of her jacket.

"Still," she said. "I don't know if..."

There was a knock on the door. Khan leapt from his seat. "That has to be him."

He opened the door to reveal a figure cloaked in a black trenchcoat. It entered the room and removed its hood to reveal a bald head and piercing black eyes in a thin face. The strange man went directly to the table and sat down across from Daema, who made a poor attempt to swallow her glare. Jak came over from the corner and sat beside Daema; Khan stood at the end of the table, resting his palms on the scarred wood.

"So," Khan said, "what do you have to tell us?"

The thin man rested thin hands with long bony fingers on the table in front of him. "My master and I want to make a deal," he said in a surprisingly deep voice.

Daema raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal?"

He drummed his fingers on the table. "Basically, we want to hire you for the job you're already doing."

"What job?" Daema want to say, but was interrupted by a casual wave by the thin man.

"We know all about the Aurora Project," he said. "We've been looking for it for quite some time. We also know you three are after it, and we want to fund your mission." Seemingly oblivious to the blank stares he was receiving from Khan and Daema, he reached into an inner pocket of the long coat and pulled out a sack. It landed on the table with the familiar jingle of gil.

Khan's eyes landed on it. "Wha ...how do you know all this?"

Daema turned to Khan. "You sure you didn't just blab it all out?"

"Madam," said the thin man, "I assure you that no one else would know about this. You three have been impressingly secretive. However, the master and I make it our business to find everything out about that Aurora Project. Trust me - your plan is safe." Daema sat back down, a dubious expression on her face.

"Anyway," the man continued. "We want to partially fund your mission and assist in other ways that are available to us - namely, information and equipment. You are after the Aurora Project for what's in her head, correct?" Khan looked at Daema for a second, and nodded. "What my master and I want to propose is this." He shifted in his chair, then gestured to the bag of gil.

"The master will provide sufficient funding to complete what you are currently missing. In addition, I will accompany you on your journey, to assist in any way possible. Once we have the Aurora Project in our grasp, you three can pry from her head the location of the safe you're looking for. The master and I will not meddle in this, nor will we demand a share of anything found in the safe. Our only condition is this: when you have secured the location of Hojo's old trinkets ...we get to keep the Project."

Khan's eyes widened slightly. "Are you serious? That's all you want?"

Daema's eyes were wide as well, but for a different reason. "How do you know all this?" she insisted. "I think we have a security breach." The last two words were directed at Khan, her eyebrows narrowing.

The thin man gave her a small, chilling smile. "I insist there is not. We have simply ...put together the pieces we found after we discovered your interest in the Project. Three Ex-Shinra employees; all three left the company at the same time; two of three worked under Professor Hojo, the third in Weapons and Defense." Daema still looked unconvinced, so the thin man leaned forward. "Madam," he said slowly, "I ensure you that we have taken great pains to ensure no one else knows this is going on. Do you understand? We don't want anyone finding out about it either. My master and I guarantee your safety."

He then turned back to Khan. "So, what do you say?"

Khan's eyes flicked briefly to the bag of gil on the table, then to the fuming Daema. "Um ...we'll have to discuss your offer in private."

"I understand," said the thin man, standing with a swirl of his coat. "I will wait outside."

As soon as the door shut, Daema turned to Jak and Khan. "He knows too much," she hissed.

Khan shrugged. "I _swear_ to you, Daema, I didn't say a thing. Besides," he picked up the bag, "we're almost there. This 'funding' he's talking about may let us move _now_, rather than in the month or so it would have taken. And the longer we wait, the better chance there is that the Aurora Project will deteriorate."

Daema shook her head. "I don't think I like it ...but I agree. We don't have much choice. And if they already know about it ...no point in refusing, I guess."

"The offer's almost too good to accept," Jak said slowly, the first words he'd spoken all night. "We get all of Hojo's riches and artifacts and become filthy rich ...and they're stuck with a lab specimen? There's something shady."

"Yes," Daema said, "but it's their funeral. As long as we can get the information. You're _sure_ the Project knows where it is?"

Khan nodded. "I'm positive. She has to. Hojo's talked about it dozens of times. He used her as a veritable filing cabinet; with that Manipulate crown on her head, her memory was astounding. He always did his research with her there, remembering everything he said and spouting it back later so he could record it. I'm sure somewhere in that memory are complete directions to everywhere he hid his loot."

Daema sighed. "I guess this is it, then," she said. "We can finally start. Jak?"

The silent man nodded.

  
  


Outside the door, the ninja stood in his long overcoat, silently laughing. They had no choice but to accept his offer. His eyes closed in anticipation. The final bit of information he and the master needed ...the final step ...and three fools willing to do the dirty work, and then turn over the gem for a small safe of gilded prizes! 

His secret smile was cunning. He would help them, yes. And make sure they never knew what the real prize of the Aurora Project was.

Across the street, a shadow detached itself from the tree. The ninja saw it; their eyes met for a brief second. He nodded to it, eliciting a nod in return. Then the shadow melded itself back into the night.

Yes, he would help. But two would follow: he in daylight, as a companion, and the master's right hand, Shita, would follow in shadow. There was other business to take care of.

The door behind him opened. He turned to enter the room, already knowing the answer to his proposition.


	5. Ch5: Discovery

Chapter Two: Discovery

  
  


The PHS phone rang, making everyone jump. Aurora had just returned in her fighting garb, and was listening contentedly to Cid ramble about airships some more while the others packed up the campsite. Cloud reached a hand into his hidden pocket and clicked the button. "Yes?"

"Cloud?" a strong male voice came through the line. "Reeve here."

"Reeve?" Cloud said. "Hello. What's up?"

A bit of static. "No real news here. Just thought I'd check in, offer my assistance again."

Cloud swallowed. Though the Shinra Manager had been a large amount of help through Cait Sith, he didn't feel quite right explaining everything about what they'd found in Hojo's labs. "What's going on in Junon?"

"Not too much. The Solar Collective's up and running; they've got a decent amount of funding for their energy research projects. They offered me a position on the Board of Directors, but I refused it. I do believe they want to employ me as a researcher, however. Their newest project is, of course, attempting to harness solar energy to do the things Mako used to do. The current plan is to be off of Mako in a year, two at the max."

Cloud grinned. "Those Turks, always ambitious." His gaze suddenly landed on Aurora, and he suddenly had a small wave of apprehension. "Nothing suspicious going on, is there?"

"Nope," Reeve said. "At least, not yet."

"Actually, Reeve," Cloud said, "as much as I know you would like to come exploring with us -" the other man laughed -"we'd like you to keep a nice, unbiased eye on things in Junon. Shinra has too much past, and there are too many chances for problems."

"Gotcha," Reeve replied. "It's the least I can do."

"Thanks," Cloud said. "We'll be in touch."

He tucked the phone back into his pocket. "That was odd," said Tifa.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but it's nice to have help, no matter where it's from."

The phone rang in his hand.

Cloud started, then slowly pulled the PHS back out. It rang again in his hand. He eyed it strangely, then shrugged and lifted it to his face. "Yeah?"

"Cloud?" The voice on the other end was strangely hesitant. "It's Yuffie."

"Yuffie?" An eyebrow raised. "What's up?"

"Well - look - I, um..." The ninja's hesitance was astounding. Cloud slowly took a breath.

"Yuffie, what is going on? First you call this morning all chipper to the point of driving me crazy, saying you have to stay. Now you're all quiet. What's happening?"

"Cloud," she said all in a rush, "You have to get out of Midgar."

"What?"

Yuffie took a deep breath that echoed over the phone line. "You have to get out of there! I just found out - it's why I was in Wutai - but they're coming, and - just, well, I'll explain later. Get in the airship and fly to Wutai! Now!"

"What?" Cloud repeated. "Is this a joke, Yuffie? Or is this some other scam?"

"I'm trying to be trustworthy!" she snapped. "Why do you think I'm here in pagoda-land instead of exploring with you? I've found something out that we'll have to take care of, but I need you guys to get your butts over here!"

_That_ sounded more like Yuffie, and Cloud decided - for now - to believe her. "Alright, Yuffie. We'll come to Wutai and you can explain everything."

"Explain everything?" Cid said as Cloud hung the phone up. "What'd she swipe from us this time?"

Cloud shrugged. "She sounds very concerned and urgent. Seems there's some sort of danger afoot. She wants us to leave right away and come to Wutai."

Cid groaned and hung his head. 

  
  


Red curled up in his usual spot on the Highwind. "Mmm, feels like home," he said. "We're back on the road."

Cid grinned. "That's my baby," he said proudly. "Best in the business!"

"Only one in the business, Cid," Tifa teased. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it at her; she dodged it nimbly and it fell over the side, plummeting through the air. She laughed.

"Where's Aurora?" Red asked. 

Cid glanced around. "Running all over the whole damn ship. Poor girl was glued to the side for a while, just staring. Then I told her how big the ship itself was, and she left to go look."

"Cid!" Cloud said. "What if she gets in trouble?"

Cid rolled his eyes. "I told her not to fall off."

"She'll have enough sense," Tifa said. "Hojo didn't make her stupid."

"Well, yeah," Cloud said, "but she doesn't seem to know what fear is."

"Or any emotion," said Red.

"She'll be alright," Tifa repeated. "If she hasn't freaked out yet, I doubt she will."

"I kind of agree with Vince on that," Cloud said thoughtfully. "It's a wonder with everything Hojo did to her that she's turned out so normally."

"How does Vincent know so much about her?" Red asked. "Is that what was in the Shinra Mansion?"

Cloud nodded. "I guess so. It was most of Hojo's records. Though it must have been really painful for Vincent to read, from what he's told me, it detailed a lot of what had gone on in the labs."

Red shuddered. "Why'd he go back there? Isn't that where ...it happened?"

Tifa's head bowed. "I think it was really brave of him. Kind of to get closure on everything that had gone on."

"Also," Cloud threw in, "I think he wanted to check the science behind everything and make sure Sephiroth, Hojo, and even Jenova weren't coming back."

A small silence surrounded the four friends.

  
  


Vincent sat on the smaller rear deck, enjoying the striking view behind the Highwind. It was bright noon, and the sun was shining off of the water. Vincent had always found that, although the upper deck was larger, he had always preferred the solitude and the backwards view of this little platform. Not that it was always worth the climb, back through the dangerously swinging ropes and wires and over high piles of Cid's junk. A couple times, Cid had made some sort of interesting driving judgement, and only Vincent's quickness and ability of pseudo-flight had saved him from being thrown off the airship altogether. 

He sighed, watching the water play far below the engines of the Highwind. A small sound behind him startled him and made him turn - no one had ever come this far back but him - 

The shaggy black hair and thin form startled him. Little Aurora was picking her way through the rubbage, her hands neatly finding the next rope to grasp, her feet easily locating the next board or pipe which would support them. As he turned, she looked up, and at seeing him, tilted her head.

"Vincent Valentine," she said in that serious voice of hers. "Why are you back here?"

A dozen reasons flitted through his mind. _It's quieter. Nicer. Prettier. There is no one else here. I could jump, and no one would ever see it. The view is better. Red snores in the front._ But what came out of his mouth was, "What are _you_ doing back here?"

She stopped immediately, her feet poised on a length of pipe like a tightrope, one hand clutching at a nearby pillar for balance. "Am I not allowed here?"

He winced. "No, Aurora. You're not in trouble. It's just ...it's dangerous back here. I thought you'd be scared."

"Cid asked me the same thing about flying," she said, finally reaching the small platform and seating herself next to Vincent, precariously close to the edge, her legs dangling. "I don't think I understand about feeling scared."

Of course. At this point, she was still full of wonderment at everything so new to her. Vincent brushed his hair from his eyes, but the wind whipped it back toward him. "I wish it weren't so, Aurora, but one day you will know what it is like to feel fear."

She nodded. "When I find it, I will tell you, Vincent Valentine."

He smiled at the now familiar use of his entire name. "So what do you think, Aurora?"

She looked out at the water below them, the sun glinting off of the tiny rivulets, sparkling in dozens of places, fallen stars at mid-day. "I don't know what to think," she said. She rubbed a hand across her head, absently, then asked: "May I see that crown?"

Vincent silently pulled it from his cape and gave it to her. 

She held it in her hand. "Ever since this has been gone," she said slowly, "my mind has been much different. It's as if all my old thoughts and memories never had as much color as they do now."

Vincent was taken aback, surprised at the depth of thought from the girl. _What an accurate way to describe things,_ he thought. _But she was raised a scientist's lackey_.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," she said. "It's not that I don't have words to describe it. It's like I don't have the ability." She turned to Vincent. "I hope you all don't think I am stupid. I was Hojo's companion in most of the experiments he did, and I understand a great deal about science, technology, and lifeforms. I just feel ...I feel like I don't know anything important in this big world here."

Vincent actually smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Aurora. We don't think you are stupid. We don't know what to think about you. There has never been anyone like you ever in the history of this planet. Do you know what that means?" She cocked her head. "It means that everything here is new. Everything that you do is new, ingenious, and therefore wondrous. The fact that you got on this airship without fear is amazing. The fact that you could climb the whole way back here without flinching is incredible. I will tell you that we have a great deal of respect for you, and that respect grows with every new step you take away from Hojo's lab. You have a lot of wisdom in your head," he continued, "yet you are learning a new kind of wisdom. You are learning what it is like to think and feel for yourself."

She looked down at the crown in her hand, and then in one simple, fluid motion, tossed it over the side of the airship. They both leaned forward to watch it fall, twinkling in the sunlight until it was no longer distinguishable.

_What a symbolic act,_ Vincent thought. _And she doesn't even seem to realize it._

She then smiled at Vincent, a brilliant smile, the first he had seen. "I don't need that now, do I?"

"You astound me, Aurora," he said, meeting her gaze. 

They looked out the back of the airship. Spotting the ocean randomly were tiny islands, specks of dust in a sparkling sea. Finally, familiar land passed beneath them and Vincent stood up.

"We're almost there," he said. "We should return."

Aurora stood quickly and easily and followed him back.

  
  


The Highwind settled itself down into the dusty lands around Wutai. The Da-Chao of the mountains towered in the distance. Over a small hill they could see the small town, the Pagoda of Five Strong and Yuffie's beautiful house. Outside the house paced a small figure, obviously lost in thought.

"Hey!" Tifa shouted. The figure turned. "Yuffie!"

The girl leapt into the air and broke into a run toward the airship. Her appearance surprised the group; she had put away her fighting garb, and traded her tank top and shorts for long, silky pants and a dark black kimono. She looked surprisingly lovely and mature as she bowed in formal greeting. But when she lifted her head, the familiar sarcastic grin graced her face.

"Hey!" she said. "You miss me?"

Cloud leapt from the side of the airship onto the dusty plains. "What's up, Yuffie?"

She grinned. "Glad to see you guys. Am I ever. C'mon, we'll go back to my place, cause I have to talk to you!"

She turned suddenly and sprinted back toward the house, not waiting for Red, Vincent, and Aurora to disembark.

Cid shook his head. "Little upstart."

"She sounded very upset before," Cloud said. "Let's go see."

They all tramped over to Yuffie's house, where she was quickly rearranging the inside to seat everyone. It wasn't until the last person had found a seat that her eyes landed on Aurora.

"Woah," she said. "Who's that?"

"We found her in Midgar," Cloud said. "Her name is Aurora. She was ...an old project of Hojo's."

Yuffie's face blanched, the color draining from it in a second. "WAIT. Aurora? As in the Aurora Project?"

Aurora nodded in response at the ninja's unexpected reaction. Tifa and Vincent sat at her sides, staring at Yuffie, bewildered.

"No." Yuffie just stared, frozen. A hint of panic crept into her voice. "Ho-ly shit. You guys have her?"

Cloud stood and faced the small ninja. "Yuffie. Stop playing around and tell us what's going on."

Yuffie blinked, and sat on a nearby cushion. "Well, it's a lot more important now, if you guys actually _have_ her. Damn."

"_Yuffie_." Cloud's voice had run out of patience.

"Right." She settled herself on the cushion and sighed. "The reason I stayed here was cause we had a security breach at one of the training houses. My father wanted me to investigate it as part of my training. Someone had notified us of a spy and it was my job to figure out who it was. I was working real hard to be both a ninja spy and a royal daughter - hence the clothes," she said with a sudden grin.

"Anyway. I finally figured out who it was, but I wasn't allowed to go after him myself. And the night we went to confront him he vanished." The smile on her face disappeared. "That was a week ago. We found evidence in his room that he was after some group of people_, _like he had been hired by somebody to track them. I wanted to file a report, but didn't have enough to push with, and my father was really on my case. Then, this morning ..." she swallowed. "This morning I was digging through his stuff and found he was on his way to Midgar to locate some Aurora Project. He was to bring it back to whatever boss or master he's with and then ...and then he's going to try to assassinate all of us."

There was a strange silence. Red lifted his head.

"It's very odd that he's after Aurora. And now she's with us. What's going on?"

Eyes eventually turned to Aurora. "I don't know what's going on," she said quickly. "Why would someone be after me?"

"Lots of reasons," said Cloud. "The fact that you're part Cetra, part human, part _cosmoe_. The fact that there's Materia in you. And Lifestream and Mako." Yuffie's eyes widened.

"Guys, here's the thing. I'm worried about this guy because he's been here training for a long time. He knows all the secrets of Wutai, and because of that, I am obligated to go hunt him down." She smoothed her kimono. "But he's also after you all, and he'll be a formidable opponent. I was real worried about him catching you off guard and you guys being out of practice. I'm sorry if I scared you."

This admission, coming from Yuffie, was a huge surprise. "It's ok," said Cloud, startled. "We're touched by your concern."

"Well, if something had happened, it would have been my fault for not catching him," she said, hanging her head.

"But we're alright," Tifa said. "And we have Aurora, through some weird twisted luck. So she's alright, too."

Yuffie looked up and smiled a bit. "Yeah, I guess that's true. So what now?"

Cloud was silent for a second, then looked up to see everyone's eyes on him. "What?" he asked with a smile.

"You're still the leader, man," Barrett said.

"Well, let me think. And I'm open to suggestions."

"Where were you guys rushing to before?" Yuffie asked.

"Well," Tifa said slowly, "we were going to ...look for Aeris. Cloud thinks we can contact her, and Aurora says Aeris is speaking to her. There are a lot of mysteries there we wanted to resolve."

"One of the things to keep in mind," said Vincent darkly, "is that now we know someone's after Aurora. We need to keep her safety utmost until we figure out what's going on."

"Yes," Red said. "She's not going back to the lab." He paced over to Aurora and settled next to her, resting his normally fierce head in her lap. Aurora looked startled, then pleased, and tentatively stroked the fur between his ears. Red grinned.

Cloud thought. _I still want to go see Aeris. Is that the right thing to do? If nothing, I want to hear her voice one last time. I want to hear her speak my name._ He sighed, feeling Tifa's eyes on him and remembering her earlier words. _But what if this is a useless quest? And if someone's after us and after Aurora..._

"We gotta figure this out, and soon," Barrett said. "It's gonna be nightfall."

Yuffie nodded. "You can all stay here tonight, if you'd like. Wutai would love your business," she said, bowing her head in mock formality.

"What about you, Yuffie?" Cloud asked. 

"I need to go after Black," she said. "That ninja. It's my task now that I've returned to the training school. But I also want to go with you guys and help you."

"If you're traveling with us, and he's chasing us, you'll meet eventually," Tifa said. "And we'll be there to help you."

Yuffie nodded. "Right. But we should keep moving, at least now. And leave no trace."

"We don't want to let him know we have Aurora," Vincent said. "Make him think his two objectives are separate."

"So are we still goin' after Aeris?" Barrett asked. "Or what?"

Eyes turned to Cloud. He sighed, and nodded. 

"I still feel that she's trying to reach us somehow. I know," he said, directing it at Tifa, "I know she's gone. But I still think she's trying to speak to us. Maybe there's something left that she can't do now that we need to do for her. I don't know. And there's the case of Aurora's dreams."

"Waterfall..." Red thought. "Is she thinking of the Forgotten City? Where Grandfather showed us the projector? There was a waterfall there."

Cloud nodded. "That was my thought, at least. That's where I was going to head first."

Cid ran a hand through his spiky hair. "So we'll fly up there and check it out. Fine by me."


	6. Ch6: Dead End

Chapter 3: Dead End

  
  


"What?" Daema's eyes were flashing with anger.

"It appears," the ninja repeated, "that the Aurora Project is missing."

Khan shook his head. "Wa-wait. Missing? How can it be missing?"

The ninja, who had given his name only as Black, shrugged. "It's not just something that sits on a shelf. It's actually a person, you know. She might have left when all this happened."

Daema's eyes narrowed. "Wait," she said. She paced across the room and crouched. "Hey, check this out. Somebody was here."

The remains of a small fire lay in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by a myriad of footprints.

"How'd you miss this, Mr Ninja?" Daema asked sarcastically. 

"I was looking for the Project, not this crap," Black growled at her, then crouched beside her to look.

"Too many footprints for one girl," Khan said.

"Yes," Black said slowly, a fierce look of anger growing on his face as he surveyed it. "Give me room." Daema and Jak backed up as he knelt on the ground, dark eyes flickering over the ground. "I estimate ...six people. And one _cosmoe_."

Daema's eyes widened. "You got all that from this mess?"

Jak pushed her aside. "A _cosmoe?_ Here?"

Black nodded, fury in his eyes. "And I only know one group of people who travel with the _cosmoe_."

Khan spat. "It's Cloud Strife, isn't it."

Daema was still trying to count the footprints, determined not to let the ninja get the better of her. But at the mention of that name, she looked up, her eyes narrowed. "_What_? They were here?"

"Not only that," Black growled, "but my guess is that they have the Aurora Project."

"Shit." Daema collapsed into the dust, head in her hands. "Double shit. They have it? We're done for."

"Don't be so quick, Daema," Khan said, settling himself a little more gracefully on the ground beside her. "We don't know what they want her for. Perhaps we can get her back."

Daema turned burning eyes to him. "They - defeated - Sephiroth. Do you have any idea how quickly they'd go through three ex-Shinra employees?"

"Well," Khan said, "who says we have to fight them?"

"First and foremost." Daema turned to Black. "We need to be absolutely certain that it was them and that the Project is in their custody now. Can you verify anything else for us?"

Black nodded. "Easily. Give me a couple minutes." He stood, black coat swirling, and followed the tracks, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Shit," Daema repeated under her breath. "I don't believe it. We were too late."

Khan shrugged. "It's alright. I bet Strife's group doesn't even know what she is. They probably just found her and offered to take her to safety. We'll be able to find her."

"Eventually," Daema said. "What do you think, Jak?"

The silent man shrugged. "The task will be a lot harder now," he said simply.

Black grumbled to himself as he walked along, staring at the tracks, touching the dust occasionally. _Of all the people!_ He smiled ironically. _This complicates things in a most delicious way._ The presence of the _cosmoe_ tracks were quite obvious in places, and Black knew of only one such creature that traveled in the presence of humans. It must have been Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon, and the only humans he traveled with were Cloud Strife and his companions.

He passed silently into the adjacent room and ducked into a dark hallway. Pulling a long, thin piece of metal from his pocket, he pressed a button. A tinny-sounding tone rang quietly, then a smooth, deep voice emitted from the phone.

"Yes?"

"Master. We have reached Midgar and found something ...interesting. The Aurora Project is missing and seems to be in the custody of none other than Cloud Strife and company."

The silken voice purred on the other end. "Really. That is ...most intriguing. What do you plan to do?"

Black shifted further into the shadows. "I believe I will try to talk these humans into pursuing her. If you do not wish to reveal yourself yet, their help will be invaluable. Does that sound acceptable?"

A brief silence full of thought, then: "Yes. Continue as planned. Track the project down and capture it. Keep in touch with any changes." A slight pause. "Have you had contact with Shita yet?"

Black smiled. "Only once, master. But it is her task to remain invisible."

"Once the first project has been completed, she will contact you for initiation of the second project."

"Yes," Black said. "I will be ready and waiting."

"Good." It was full of contentment. "Excellent work, my friend. Fate has twisted our tasks together. Perhaps our mission will be easier than we expected. Keep in contact." The phone clicked.

Black tucked the small metal band back beneath his coat. _Excellent_. 

He re-entered the room where the three figures sat, dejected, around the ashes of a fire. He briefly examined them for a second, pondering at what fate had brought them. Khan was the leader; flame-headed and roguish, he carried a long saber and a deep grudge for the Shinra company. He had worked with Daema in Professor Hojo's underlabs. The young woman had short blond hair, a violent temper, and excellent skill with her handgun. Jak was the brains of the operation - long blond hair and glasses hid a shining intelligence. He had worked in Shinra Weapons Development. Though silent, he was shrewd and clever, and quite skilled with the flail he carried strapped on his back.

They turned to look at him. "So?" Daema asked. "What's the verdict, ninja?"

He knelt on the ground beside them. "There is no one else it can be," he said. "The _cosmoe_ tracks are distinct. Besides, the numbers and sizes fit the people I would project into the situation."

"What's that mean?" Khan asked.

"Well," Black said, "it is standard ninja practice to size up and predict your enemy beforehand. As I said before, there were six variants of prints along with the tracks. One pair of feet was remarkably small; let's assume these belong to the Aurora Project. One other pair was slightly smaller; I would guess they belong to the woman Tifa Lockheart."

Daema was staring at the prints around them, calculating. Perhaps he had underestimated her intelligence; she was quick to ask questions, curious about everything, and a very impressive learner. "Go on."

"Two of the pairs were large: Cloud Strife himself and his companion Barrett Wallace, who was known to be in Midgar. One pair is oddly shaped and weighted; I would guess Vincent Valentine, knowing his unusual build and style of movement. The last was a standard size and shape, leaving me to guess the presence of Cid Highwind, since his airship was needed."

Daema whistled. "Very nice, ninja."

"But that's not all of them," Khan said. "I know the Ancient perished. But there was someone from Shinra who fought with them, and one other little girl."

Black laughed. "You speak of Yuffie? She remains at home, training under the yoke of her father. And Cait Sith, the Shinra spy, was dismantled after the Meteor battle."

Khan sighed. "So what now? Do we go after them?"

"We don't really have a choice," Daema said. "Is there a chance that we can steal her back, rather than have to face a direct confrontation?"

Khan thought. "Perhaps. We have a ninja, and it's not like you and I don't have any skill at night raiding. That may be our best bet."

Daema looked at Jak. "Say something, man. What do you think we do now?"

Jak brushed a lock of hair from his face. "If we are to go after her, it will have to be in silence and stealth. I think we need to figure out Strife's intentions toward the Project. If he is merely looking for a place for her to stay, our problems are solved. If she is to be their new companion, it will be a little difficult."

They looked to the ninja next. "What say you?" Khan shrugged. "I still don't even know why you're helping us. But what do you want to do?"

Black stood. "I will help you get the Aurora Project back from Strife and his friends. From there, I assume our deal still stands."

Khan nodded. "Alright, then. We're resolved. We need to figure out Strife's whereabouts."

"That shouldn't be hard," Daema said with a smirk. "When you just saved the world, don't expect to have much privacy or secrecy. We should be able to tell very easily."


	7. Ch7: Aeris and the Waterfall

III. Meanings Explained

Chapter 1: Aeris and the Waterfall

  
  


Cloud sighed, shouldering his large sword. The intricate, shell-like buildings of the Ancient civilization were untouched, peacefully deteriorating. The Ancients had lost the game with time and Jenova, slowly fading from this planet; their buildings were gracefully following them into the oblivion of history. The spires and swirls of the city, the sea-inspired colors and lovely maritime walkways brought back painful memories. Cloud looked around him at the beauty, yet all he could feel was sorrow. _Aeris._ She was with him, in his mind, even now - beckoning forward. His sense of responsibility toward the young, innocent girl had not changed an ounce. _She saved the planet, Cloud. You'd think she could take care of herself._ And still he felt drawn to her - guilt, yes, and the strong sense of owing her something. And then there was the way he was drawn to her laughter and light, her eyes ...

A movement beside him shook him from reverie. Tifa was rummaging through her things, trying to find the small kit which would build itself into the tents they used when traveling. They had found a safe place to camp for the evening before descending to the depths of the Forgotten City. Cloud smiled. Tifa had been the best of friends, and always more. He stooped to help her and was rewarded by that dazzling smile she had perfected; he returned the smile, but inwardly shook: that familiar wrenching of feelings, the odd conflict between Aeris and Tifa, could not be so easily forgotten. _Not while Aeris speaks in my mind..._

Aurora stood by Red, assisting as the _cosmoe_ showed her how to construct a tent from the kits so easily purchased at any good store. She listened attentively to his eager instructions, imitating the motions he made with his large paws. During the days they had spent traveling Midgar and resting in Wutai, Aurora had opened up slightly, becoming a little more relaxed and natural. Cloud noted, however, that she still lacked any true emotions except for the vague interest she expressed in Cid's stories, Barrett's anecdotes, and a few of his more meager jokes. Though she had ceased to respond to questions like a programmed robot, Cloud was not sure if that was a true development or the result of his irritation with her mannerisms. Her smiles were weak - but at least she smiled. She seemed to be a little more used to her freedom.

Yuffie was watching Red and Aurora with a grin on her face, poking fun at Red's puppy-like gestures. At once Red spun on his heels and pounced, knocking Yuffie off of her precarious perch on a high rock. They rolled into the dust, Yuffie sputtering. Tifa giggled at Red's proud stance atop the ninja's wriggling body. There was a _thud_ as Yuffie punched Red's flank; he coughed, and moved so the girl could stand. She brushed herself off, then met Red's gaze. They burst into laughter.

Vincent leaned against a nearby tree, watching the spectacle. Actually, he was watching as Aurora watched the interplay. _She is trying to learn emotion_, he thought. _So curious. Who would have thought that the same hands that pieced together my twisted being could have created something seemingly so benign, so peaceful?_ He watched as Red came back to Aurora, still grinning. The girl had a small smile on her face, the way she had learned in the past few days to express happiness or amusement. Red cocked his head, as if considering a pounce in her direction, then continued the tent lesson.

Barrett and Cid had put together a pile of wood, and now sat around it, relaxing. "...sure hope she's there," Barrett was saying as Tifa and Cloud approached, having been more successful with their tent than Red's canine form and Aurora's inexperience. "I've got a ton of questions for that girl."

"Aeris?" Tifa asked, reaching for a snack. "Like what?"

"Well, like healin' the planet," Barrett said impatiently. "We've always had to work for the planet, now more than anythin'. We've gotta clean up all the mess the damn Weapons and Meteor and Sephiroth made, and we ain't got any power! And then there's Midgar," he said, taking a sip from a canteen. "I wanna know what happened there."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, curious. 

"Well," Barrett replied, "look. First Midgar goes suckin' up all the Mako, so it gets hit by one of the Weapons. Then Meteor seems to be aiming for it - but Meteor and the Weapons weren't on the same side. Then Holy and the Lifestream come in and _save_ Midgar. Why's that? Was it just luck that Meteor was headed there? Why save it? And then what the hell do we do now with all the wreckage?"

Red settled himself next to the small fire. "What I want to know," he said slowly, "is about the Materia - the two most important ones. What happened to them? Sephiroth had the Black Materia; he summoned Meteor. Where is it now?"

Tifa shook her head. "I never even thought about that, Red. And the White Materia ..."

"That was in Aeris's possession," Red nodded. "Where is that now? What should we do with them? It seems to me that they are potent problems we need to take care of. But what to do with them? There's no where to _put_ them anymore."

Vincent remained in the shadows, but spoke. "Do you believe Aeris can answer these questions?"

Cloud looked at him and nodded. "If we can speak to her, yes. I think she is the best person to talk to, if we can reach her."

The night passed in peace and silence. Morning dawned golden over the misty valley holding the Forgotten City. They awoke slowly, gathered their things, then traveled to the small, broken house which held the ancient platform.

Cloud approached it cautiously. The waterfall Bugenhagen had summoned as a screen for the Ancient projector had ceased to fall, and the old projector itself was nowhere to be seen. "I don't know what to do now," he said slowly. "Last time..."

Red closed his eyes. "Last time, Bugenhagen did it for us," he said softly. Tifa looked over at him and, seeing his sorrow, ran a hand through the soft hair on his head for comfort. He looked gratefully up at her. "I have no idea what he did, either," he admitted. "I'm not far enough in my studies, I guess."

Cloud reached into the small pocket where he kept certain important treasures and drew out the Ancient Key. Old and gnarled, it lay in his hand, seeming to pulse with life. "What about this?" he said, and then had a thought. He turned to Aurora, holding the key to her. "Was this in your dreams?" he meant to ask. But he had turned too fast, and the key slipped from his grasp, landing inside the detailed circle with a delicate clink.

Aurora's eyes widened at the sound. Cautiously, slowly, she took one step forward. Cloud looked at her, confused, then obediently got out of her way. On her face was something like determination, some strange realization. She took another cautious step; her foot landed within the boundaries of the ancient mosaic, and her entire body lit up, bathed in shimmering light. Cloud gasped. She knelt on the ground and reached out shining white fingers to touch the key.

The air around them lit up with a pure, white light. Startled, they took a step back from the glowing girl before them. A sound from above distracted them; through the misty sparkle of the magic before them they saw a wall of water, falling - no, not water, but Lifestream, sparking green and glittering, liquid, thick with promise, falling just past the edge of the now-glowing platform. From the ground beneath, the vibrant green liquid oozed through the cracks, sprayed upward in swirls, meeting the falling curtain of life halfway. The current stabilized, making a solid wall; the light within gathered; a door somewhere opened, and a figure stood before them, shining in radiance.

"_Aeris."_

Cloud's voice was full of wonder as he took a step forward, standing slightly behind the motionless form of Aurora, still kneeling on the ground, clutching the key in her outstretched hands. The form before them was, unmistakably, Aeris Gainsborough. Outlined and colored in the deep healing green of the Lifestream, she was yet plainly recognizable as the flower girl they had all known. She nodded at them and smiled, stretching her arms out. "Hello, everyone," she said. Her voice was clear, and evoked memories in their minds.

"Aeris - I - where are you?" Cloud was frazzled, distracted, at her appearance. 

Her voice, when she spoke, was lovely and sweet, full of peace. "I'm here, in the Lifestream. They've let me travel back and forth to return to this planet, to help and heal. I've been watching you all, trying to take care of you and the planet. Thank you for all you've done," she said, looking at Barrett and then Red.

Barrett blushed. "Ain't nothin'," he said finally. "It's only what you'd do if you were ..."

Aeris smiled, sparkles from the Lifestream framing her young face. "It's ok," she said to Barrett. "I'm still with you, and I will be as long as I can. Eventually I will pass on to the Promised Land," she explained, pure joy in her voice. "But every Cetra is given a small amount of time to finish things they may need to take care of."

"Have you seen the Promised Land?" Tifa asked, her voice full of awe. 

Aeris's eyes, as they met Tifa's, shone with her smile. "Yes," Aeris said. "It's unbelievable. A meeting place from all Planets, built by the Cetra to hold all the souls who deserve happiness. Everyone we have lost has ended up there," she said softly. "All those who fought with us and passed away. See, anyone who loses their life in the service of the Planet is taken immediately to the Promised Land." She smiled. "My mother is there, and the father I never knew - Professor Gast." Vincent blinked, surprised. "Zack from Soldier is there - and, of course, Bugenhagen," she continued, watching a smile dawn on Red's canine face. "And," with a kind look at Barrett and Tifa, "Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie."

Tifa let out a sob, surprised. One tear ran down Barrett's cheek as he bowed his head for his old friends.

"You see," Aeris said, "I'm not alone here."

Cloud looked up from the ground. He had seemingly missed the previous conversation, having been wrestling with something that shone plainly on his face. He turned his eyes on Aeris's glowing form. "Can we bring you back?"

There was nothing but silence, and another faint sob from Tifa. Aeris closed her eyes in thought, then opened them; they shone with the sparkle and promise of the Lifestream. "No," she said.

"But -" Cloud was shocked. "There has to be some way. Tell us what to do, Aeris. Show us the magic of the Ancients. We'll do it."

Tifa cleared another sob from her throat. "We'd do it for you, Aeris," she said quietly.

The Ancient shook her head. "No," she repeated. "There are ...chances I have heard of, possibilities. There may have been ways in the past. But summoning forth something that great would require much too much time, too much energy. The Planet was wounded in its struggle with Meteor; there's no power to spare. Right now, the Planet needs your help, as do the people. I would ask you to devote yourselves to them ...and not to me."

Cloud took a step toward her, his face a mix of disbelief, confusion, and pain. "Aeris," he said softly. "Please, Aeris, we need you..."

Aeris spread her hands slowly; the Lifestream swirled about her until she and Cloud were surrounded in its shimmering walls, cut off from everyone else. "Cloud," she whispered. They were alone together, both surrounded and separated by the sparkling, flowing green.

A tear fell as he looked at her, feeling again all the pain of her death. "Aeris, don't leave me," he replied.

"Cloud," she said, sorrow in her eyes. "I love you. I have always loved you. But things are different now. Here," she gestured, shining white flakes following her movements, "in the Lifestream, I can love and care for an entire planet." Her voice was full of awe. "I cannot come back."

He looked at her, angry and hurt. "What about ...what about our love? Are you giving up on me?"

Aeris shook her head, her eyes full of concern. "Cloud, you need to understand," she whispered. "I am not giving up on our love. Instead, I am going to take that love and spread it over our entire world. I cannot be selfish and return to life, loving only one person. I have the capacity to embrace everything, including you. Cloud," she said, a shimmering tear falling down her face, "you will be my focal point for a love that will span this Planet and heal it."

"Aeris," he said hopelessly.

She bowed her head. "Do not make the last Ancient selfish and foolish," she whispered. "I am to be a giver, not a taker."

Suddenly, her eyes opened, as if she had remembered something. Whirling a hand, the Lifestream parted and the two returned to the group, who watched with staring eyes. Tifa's face was streaked with tears; Cid, Vincent and Barrett were full of wonderment; Yuffie was shaking visibly; Red, though awed, was gently nosing a small figure on the ground, still clenching the key very tightly...

"Aurora."

Aeris's voice was gentle, yet full of command. The girl on the ground looked up, and on her face were fear and respect together, clearer than any emotions had been.

"Stand up, child." Aurora quickly stood, her body still shimmering faintly, her hand clasping the key so tightly it had dug into her palm. Aeris smiled at her, but her eyes kept their caution and fear.

"I was right, and you heard me..." Aeris was staring at the girl's face. "Aurora, where are you from?"

The girl's voice quavered. "I was ...I was created in the labs of Professor Hojo of Shinra."

"Do you remember me?" Aeris asked kindly. Aurora looked up, and a tiny bit of recognition appeared in her eyes, making some of the fear disappear.

"Yes," she said in wonderment. "You came to the labs a couple times. Hojo wanted to ...but Gast ..." Her voice trailed off, terror returning.

Aeris sighed and closed her eyes. "I need to see..." She clasped her hands before her, deep in thought and prayer. A silver shimmer surrounded her clasped fingers, then gently settled over Aurora's body, scanning her. Aeris's closed eyes read the girl like a book, delving deep into her past, gleaning the knowledge from her bones. What she was looking for ...ah! Glowing deep inside her, responding eagerly to Aeris's spell, was the proof she sought.

Her eyes opened. She gasped. "It is true," she said softly.

Aurora opened eyes she had not realized were closed. "What?" she whispered.

"You," Aeris breathed, "are the last living creature on this earth with the blood of the Cetra in your veins and soul."

Aurora, through all her fear, cocked her head. "Yes," she said simply.

Aeris smiled, though in the smile was hesitancy. "You know this to be true?" she asked. Aurora nodded, a little of the fear gone from her eyes. Aeris looked at her strongly, sparks of green magic flickering in her eyes. "I had feared all was lost. There is a great task ahead of you, Aurora, and you are the only one capable of carrying these gifts. Do you understand me?" Aurora looked a little lost and confused, but slowly nodded. "Then," Aeris said, gathering the strength and magic around her into her graceful hands. "I need you, Aurora. As does the Planet."

She stood before Aurora, suddenly glowing with all the strength and magic of the Lifestream, radiance pouring from her slender form. "Be my avatar," she whispered. "Be a talisman for the Ancients." Her shimmering hand graced the girl's forehead and they were both surrounded by glowing swirls of Lifestream. "Into your blood I pour all the knowledge and power of the Cetra. You are our living, breathing symbol, and your children will bear the full birthright of the Ancient race." She summoned into one palm a great, shining light, burning with bright intensity. "I give you my greatest gift," she said softly, and placed it on Aurora's forehead.

A whirlwind of light and sound surrounded her; she dropped to her knees again. The form of Aeris flickered behind her, seeming to whisper words. Aurora swayed once, and fell to the ground, unconscious. As she hit the ground, the key fell from her hand. The light died; the waterfall vanished. All was silent.

No one moved. In that last instant, Aeris had surrounded them in her love and whispered words to each of them. They were all caught in shock, both from the light and magic and from Aeris's messages. Tears poured down Tifa's face as she sobbed into her hands; Yuffie was still shaking. Barrett's face had paled, and Cid looked somber. Even Red stared at the ground, pensive in thought. A small movement caught their eyes - something shifted on the platform, groaned. 

Aurora slowly lifted herself to her knees. Her black hair, once chopped so raggedly about her pale face, had grown in one giant burst and now swung past her shoulders like silk. She turned her face and opened her eyes. Cloud gasped. Instead of being golden and otherworldly, they were green. Like the Lifestream. Like Aeris's eyes.

Red quickly moved to support the wavering form. The girl's face was dazed, as if she had just woken up from some long stretch of sleep. Her movements were slow and fluid-like, almost childish, as Vincent helped her stand. The look on her face was empty and full of wonderment. They stared at her in bewilderment, still shocked. 

Cloud finally approached her. Vincent had dropped his arm and she stood, slightly crooked, as if a slight wind would knock her over. "Aurora?" he asked tentatively.

There was a brief struggle on her face, then the answer came: "Yes." As if she had forgotten her existence. 

Cloud shrugged. What to do with her now?


	8. Ch8: Aftermath

Chapter Two: Aftermath

  
  


They had almost reached the campsite when Aurora threw a fit.

It started off with shivers, her entire body shaking slightly , then violently. She sat down abruptly on a nearby rock, her breath coming fast, quick. She looked around her, anger growing in her eyes, overpowered by her fear.

"Aurora," Tifa said slowly. "Are you alright?"

"What?" She snapped, her voice full of quivering fear. "Am I alright? Just ...just go away. Go away!" She was breathing in quick, rapid gusts. "All of you! Leave me alone!"

Cloud shrugged and turned away, walking toward the camp. Barrett followed him, muttering something about "checking the fire."

Tifa looked at the others. "I'll try to handle this - you guys go."

Vincent moved as if to protest, then nodded and vanished. Red, Cid and Yuffie hurried away from the girl, now shrieking at the top of her lungs.

"What's going on?" Tifa asked as she stopped to breathe.

"This - it isn't - I have no idea what's going on!" She was screaming, her voice red. "What in the blazes of hell am I supposed to do now?" She held her hands in front of her, staring at them fearfully. "Am I just going to start glowing and talking to dead people all the time?" Her hands were shaking. "God!" Her shriek echoed around her. "I don't get it! What did - what did she put inside me?"

She turned to Tifa, those green eyes glowing with heat. "I was - never - a _person_. I was just getting used to being in _my own skin_. And now - now I'm -" she started panting - "and now I have to go out and be happy and _have children_?"

Tifa tried to comfort her, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You'll be alright, Aurora. Aeris would never hurt anyone."

"But why me?" The girl screamed in Tifa's face. "Why now? What's so urgent? What's in my blood? _I don't get it!!_" She lay off screaming and started to sob, then took a deep breath. "_What's going on?!?_" she yelled to the empty canyon.

Back at the camp, Barrett had lit the fire. As the screams came from over the hill, he shuddered. "I pity Tifa," he said. "Dunno what got into that girl. Well, I have an idea ..but she ain't never screamed like that before."

Red stretched beside the small campfire. "I, for one, am relieved."

Met with strange glares, he cocked his head. "Don't you guys get it? Let her scream, let her cry. _She's feeling_. That's finally emotion, and it's coming out of her. Of course she's scared, of course she's angry. But this is the first time she's ever been able to produce any of those feelings! It's a step for her, for becoming more human."

"Is it 'cause of Aeris and what she did?" Yuffie kicked the fire. "Cause she's gonna have a hard time bein' human after that."

"Oh, forget Aeris's gifts," Red said. Yuffie looked at him as if he had uttered blasphemy; he shrugged. "For now, at least. Aurora is becoming herself, bit by bit. We can deal with Aeris's prophecy once she's calmed down."

"Red," Cloud said. "Why don't you go try to talk to her? Go see if Tifa's alright."

Vincent made a motion as if to accompany him, then met Red's eyes and nodded. "Yes, you go, Nanaki," he said quietly. "At times you understand humanity better than man itself."

Red stretched again, then padded softly over the hill. The shrieking had subsided, and soon a frazzled looking Tifa came down the hill and collapsed in front of the fire. Cloud, in a strange show of kindness, reached over and took her hand. "Thank you," he said.

She sighed. "I don't know what to tell her." She squeezed Cloud's hand. "Poor Aurora. She just got released from Hojo's prison, and now she's the hope for an entire planet ...? Why do things like this happen to people?"

A swirl in the darkness; Vincent's cape behind him as he vanished into the trees.

Cid sighed. "Poor Aeris, as well." They looked at him, and he blushed in the fading light. "It's good to know she's alright. But she has to depend on little Aurora to carry on the work of the Cetra."

Cloud blinked. "I never knew you cared, Cid," he said teasingly. The older man glowered in the firelight. "Seriously, though ...thanks," Cloud finished, quietly.

Tifa rummaged through her bag and pulled out a water bottle. "I just don't know what to think," she said. "I mean ...Aeris..."

Barrett smiled suddenly. "Warms my damn heart to think that Biggs, Wedge, n' Jessie are all up there with her," he said. "They deserve the best the Planet has to offer." He shifted his large weight, settling his gun-arm down on the log beside him. "Besides, Aeris talked to me right before she vanished. She said -"

Yuffie sat up. "She said somethin' to me too!"

Barrett looked at the young girl. "Really?" he asked. "What'd she have to say to you?"

Before the indignant Yuffie could speak, Cid wagged a finger. "She said somethin' to me, too. I think maybe she spoke to everyone?"

Cloud was staring into the fire, a look of sadness on his face. "Yes," he said slowly. He looked at Tifa, who would not meet his eyes, but nodded.

"She told me," Barrett continued, sensing the need to change the topic of conversation, "that she'd always be here, in the Planet. She said, 'Thanks for all the good you've done.' And then she said if we ever needed her help in healing this world, we could just call on her and she'd do what she could."

There was a moment's silence. Cid tapped his cigarette. "She told me to keep flyin'," he said softly. "She said I can get to the stars again. "Keep lookin'," she said. "There's a way." Damn."

Cloud suddenly noticed that the screams behind them had subsided. "Hear that?" he asked, then turned to look. Two silhouettes - one human, one canine - were moving down the hill; they ignored the fire and slipped silently into the farthest tent. "Hey," he said softly. "Red got her to come down."

Tifa smiled. "Poor girl. At least she'll be warm in the tent."

They stayed for a while, staring at the fire, talking softly. Yuffie scrambled to her own tent fairly soon; Cid and Barrett soon followed to their respective sleeping places. Finally, Tifa rose. "If Aurora and Red took a tent, some of us are gonna have to sleep under the stars." She smiled brilliantly at Cloud. "I volunteer."

He smiled. "I may join you, but it depends."

"On what?"

He grinned. "How loud Red's snoring in his sleep."

They approached the last tent; Tifa pulled the flap back, then stopped, gasping. A small smile dawned on her face. "Look!" she whispered, and pulled Cloud over.

Aurora and Red lay curled up around each other on the ground. Aurora had curled herself into a little ball on the floor, her head resting on Red's flank. The _cosmoe_ had curled himself around her and lay, his noble head on his paws, grinning in his sleep. His flame-plumed tail twitched in his sleep. Aurora sighed and snuggled closer to the warm body; dried tears were on her cheeks, but she smiled.

Tifa sighed in response, squeezing Cloud's arm almost in reflex before she realized it. _Whoops,_ she thought, and released him, dropping her hands to her sides. _Be careful, Tifa. He just saw Aeris, and who knows..._ she sighed, picked up her sleeping roll, and headed for the fire.

She had straightened it on the ground and was lying on her back, staring at the stars, one leg crossed over the other, when she heard Cloud settle next to her. She turned to look at him, but he was unresponsive; she turned her gaze back to the stars. Those tiny points of light in a darkened sky. From out there, Sephiroth had summoned Meteor. But now, it just sparkled gently. Like the Lifestream.

Her thoughts turned back to Aeris. Who would have thought she would turn down a chance to come back? Deep in Tifa's heart she had been wrestling the very idea. She would love to have Aeris back, truly; the two of them had been friends, and Aeris had been a very kind and valuable person to have around. But that one part of Tifa's heart - the part that can never be controlled or quieted by common sense - seemed to speak to her. _What about Cloud? What if Aeris comes back?_ She shook her head visibly, but did not look at him, her gaze intent on the stars.

Aeris... The girl _had_ spoken to her, before everything went white and Aurora fainted. She had felt Aeris's fingers on her cheek, a friendly whisper in her ear. Aeris's voice, without a doubt. _Tifa. Watch over Cloud; you need each other. Know I always loved you as my best friend._

She sighed, inwardly shaking her head, and closed her eyes, ready for sleep. What did that mean? Aeris obviously knew her feelings for Cloud. And they had shared so much - the entire vigil in the Lifestream, and that one peaceful night side by side. But it was _after_ Aeris had already been gone. Cloud was so confused, and Tifa had only wanted to help - wanted to make things better. What to do now? Was Aeris's last message a submission? A direction?

She rolled over. The last thing she needed to do was debate over that. It was time to sleep.

  
  


Cloud sat by the fire. Long ago he had heard Tifa sigh and roll over; now the young woman lay beside him, sleeping soundly, one hand furled across the chilled ground. His sleeping sack lay next to her, still untouched. Cloud was not expecting sleep tonight.

Emotions were running wild - fear, anger. Sorrow. Disbelief. The fact that Aeris was still out there had astounded him; as much as he had expected it, he had still expected to fail. The realization that she had, in fact, loved him. Truly. The admission that he had, perhaps, loved her. And her denial of any chance to return to life.

He sighed. _I will always love you,_ she had said to him as the light flared around Aurora, screaming. _Remember that. But do not dwell on it. Do not miss me. Instead, look to those who have stood at your side for so long. And protect this girl as you would have protected me._

The enigmatic message infuriated Cloud now, as he sat, staring at the fire, bathed in his own misery. _Do not miss me_? What did that mean? There was no way he could forget Aeris. Especially now that she had sacrificed everything...

For Aurora. Cloud rested his head in his hands in despair. What was she? Avatar to the Ancients, now. What did that mean? What part did this young girl play in the world to come? Perhaps it had not been luck that brought her into their hands that day in Midgar. Perhaps it had been Aeris.

Cloud rubbed his forehead in thought. Had Aeris subtly directed them to find the girl? Directed Vincent to do the work he did, enabling them to identify and help her? Had she already been eyeing the girl as a successor? 

Wait. Cloud blinked. A successor? Or was she Aeris, brought back? What _had_ happened back there in the Lifestream?

He groaned, then hushed suddenly as Tifa rolled over. _Tifa_. He was starting to guess why the girl had been so loyal to him, so trustworthy. But she didn't understand the confusion inside his head. And nothing that had happened had helped...

Cloud Strife looked to the stars and sighed. Once again, he would have to wait to find his answers.

  
  


In the blackness, Vincent echoed Cloud's sigh.

He was perched on a branch high atop a tree, bathed in the safety of its shadows. He looked over the empty, motionless valley and sighed again. From his height he could see the burning fire and the outlines of the many tents set up. His glowing eyes rested on the last one, and narrowed in thought, becoming ruby-lit slits.

_Aurora._ The girl had just been an experiment until a week ago, and merely an acquaintance until that day. But now ...Aeris, in that last moment, had said something unbelievable.

_Vincent. Watch over this girl and be a friend to her. You alone understand what the hateful hands of Hojo have done._ He shuddered in anger. _You also know what it's like to have an alter ego living inside you. _Nicely put, Aeris. _Be her friend and companion, for she is to be your healing._

"Healing?" he asked the darkness, hearing nothing but its silent response. He shifted his perch on the branch, red eyes closing. "There is no healing for one such as I..."

But Aeris had said so. And he tended to believe the dead.

_Healing?_ He sighed again. _Perhaps this is the continuation of the promise I made Cloud - the promise to help. Does she mean that by befriending this girl, I will break this shell and become again the happy man I once was?_ He smiled wryly at the sarcasm. _What sort of healing does she speak of? There is much of this sorry existence that needs healing, Aeris. And there is much of this sadness that is intentional._

Vincent resettled his weight, stretching his long, thin legs out before him, crossing his bronzed shoes. Aurora was an enigma, but he knew she had been witness to many of Hojo's experiments. Was it that she could heal him from that? He shook his head. This was not fair. He must simply do as Aeris asked - be a friend - without making demands on the poor girl. _Being the beholden of the Cetra power is a task enough_, he thought.

  
  


Inside the tent, Red opened one dark eye slightly. In the corner of his vision, he could see Aurora's dark head. Her hair - now much longer and smoother, for some odd reason - draped over the side of her face. Red closed his eyes and smiled inwardly at the girl's trust of him. It felt good to win her friendship, and would help with the long task he had ahead of him. He still felt shock at Aeris's words and actions, and was slightly daunted at the job she had put before him at the very end:

_Red, my dearest friend._ It was as if, once again, she was petting the soft fur atop his head, and he had smiled. _You alone can understand my reasons and actions; if not now, then you will someday. Continue to pursue true wisdom, Nanaki. You are to be the teacher of this young girl; you are not human, and therefore not privy to the inner faults of humanity. Teach her new mind the wisdom and justice you have learned in Cosmo Canyon._

He felt pride at Aeris's high esteem of his knowledge, but was still a little nervous. _Not privy to inner faults? Man..._ But he knew he could do his best, if that was his job. Cloud would be the protector, he the teacher. 

Aurora's small form coughed in her sleep and cuddled closer to his warm side. Red sighed. The morning would dawn, as Bugenhagen had always said, a new and colorful day. 


	9. Ch9: Another Enemy

  
  
  
_this may answer someone's questions about Shita ...::wink::_   
  
  


Chapter 3: Another Enemy

  
  


"Master..." A voice purred from around the door.

The man in the grand chair turned. A thin smile graced his scarred face as he spotted the additional shadow. "Shita," he said softly. "Welcome back."

Footfalls on the floor echoed, then a strange form emerged from the shadows. Four-footed and graceful, Shita somewhat resembled Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon. But where the red creature was strong, proud, and noble, Shita was a creature of moonlight and shadow. Fur tinged a bluish-gray clung to a slender, sleek form resembling a hunting cat. Long, tall elven ears poked from the mass of black hair upon the feline head. She shook this silky hair from her deep gray eyes and sat, curling a long tail around her haunches. She inclined her head, bowing in deepest respect.

"Master." She tilted her head up, just enough that the glow of Mako in her eyes could be seen. "I have returned with interesting news."

"Yes." He folded his hands in his lap and leaned back in the chair. "Tell me."

Her eyes narrowed. "The Project has been taken by Strife and his friends. They went north to the Forgotten City."

"Ahh." He smiled. "I have an idea of what they're after there."

She shook her head, tail swinging. "No, master." A small smile creased her muzzle. "They are looking for the Cetra Aeris. They have no idea where the magics have ended up."

"Hmm. The fools. It may have been better to let them brave the Lifestream and obtain the White one. But it is no matter. What else?"

"I will track them as they travel. I was unable to follow them because I had to return to report." She licked a slender paw. "But the Black one has won the respect of the humans. They wish to pursue the Aurora Project."

"Yes." He paused a moment in thought. "We cannot depend on them, Shita. Always be prepared to finish their task if necessary."

She nodded her furry head. "Of course, master. You do not think they and the Black one will succeed?"

"I am not sure. They _are_ human. However," he said with a slight sneer, "if they do find success, our task will be far easier."

He looked down. "Shita, my friend and companion. We must above all things remain secret until we have obtained the powers we need. One hint of what we are after and Strife's group will fall upon our heads like Meteor." They shared a secret smile. "And though we may survive it ...others may not. It is imperative that they do not discover who is behind all this until we have gained the upper hand."

Shita nodded. "I will make contact with the Black one and be sure he understands this. He is intelligent."

He nodded. "Thank you, my shadow-queen. I bid you away, to continue your constant vigilance. Move like the night."

She smiled at the praise. "I ever serve you and the Two," she responded formally, and slipped away like the blink of an eye.

  
  


Once outside the castle, she broke into a fast run, easily pacing herself. She ran like the wind, speedily, her feline body carrying miles upon miles before she tired a whit. It was this way that she was so easily able to carry out the master's reconnaissance missions. And it was all due to the evil Hojo...

Long ago - well, it was long ago to her animal mind. Ever since the enhancements, she had stopped thinking of the past and concentrated on the finality of the present. But she still remembered the darkness of the lab, the chains that held her to the table, the rough hands that held her body down, gave her shots and injections. Shita had been the strongest and fastest of the last of a race of giant mountain cats who lived in the northern mountains, around the Northern Cave and the Icicle Inn. One of Hojo's explorations to the Cave to inspect Sephiroth and the Weapons had discovered her small tribe; they had captured Shita with the help of Hojo's twisted Materia. She had been brought to that dark lab unconscious, never to see her home again.

In the lab, she had been treated as a specimen, living inside a small glass bubble, under constant vigilance. She was injected with Mako, which reacted splendidly to her feline form and gave her cunning intelligence and the ability to speak. Eventually, Hojo lost interest in her; she had reached the peak of her physical prowess. In addition, rumors of a fiery-red beast roaming about Cosmo Canyon had attracted Hojo's insane mind and twitching fingers; he became distracted, and Shita began to plan an escape.

It was there that she had met the master. She was wandering one day about the labs - being able to easily slip her cage - and found a hallway in which Hojo had stored other, abandoned specimens. One door was slightly open, and she nosed it to see a figure lying on his back. She entered silently and peered into the bed.

His hair was long and blond, almost white, and as he opened his eyes slowly she could see the Mako glowing inside him. "I've been waiting for you," he said. "I've been asking for help for quite some time; and you are the one who has heard my plea?" Confused yet intrigued, Shita promised to help the blond man at least once.

They escaped that night. She knew little about him, but had pledged her service to his all-knowing knowledge. She knew he had been labeled a failure, but knew no one as powerful as he. His command of the broadsword was amazing; his power with magic and Materia, unmatched. He preferred to leave these powers dormant in their years together, relying on her stealth and his wit to establish a small home which was central to their operation.

Shita growled playfully to the wind, shaking a thick lock of black hair from her eyes. Their operation had changed in most delightful ways the past month. Originally, the master had been bent on revenge. His plans had detailed everything from the death of Sephiroth, Hojo's masterpiece, to the murder of the insane scientist himself. However, the coming of Meteor, the emergence of Cloud Strife and his army of companions, and the eventual death of Professor Hojo at the hands of Strife's group had changed things. The focus of the master's revenge had shifted from Hojo to Strife himself, having been robbed of his personal vendetta. But the plan had become much more complex over the years.

Deep in the depths of Hojo's laboratory maze had been kept one human. This being, created out of scraps and samples, was a favorite keepsake of Hojo's. Inside that small, delicately engineered body lay Hojo's most potent samples; inside her blank mind lay his twisted secrets. The master knew various things about the Aurora Project and her inherent abilities. She was the top of his wish list, since through her, he could obtain the two powers he so violently desired.

Shita shook her hair again, slipping into the shadows of a great forest. She believed she knew where Strife and his friends would regroup. And the Black one would soon follow. She wanted to be there to watch.


	10. Ch10: A Slight Resolution

IV: The Presence of a Hunter

Chapter 1: A Slight Resolution

  
  


The morning dawned chilly, a cold pink and gold stretching across the sky over the solemn valley. Tifa shivered, curling up deeper into her sleeping sack. Cloud looked down at her and smiled, sadly. He rearranged the fire and stoked it with a small fire spell. He had been awake all night, and the presence of Tifa - even a sleeping Tifa - had calmed and comforted him. He had seen Vincent for a short while this morning; the dark man had not appeared to sleep as well. Cloud had wanted to ask what had kept him awake; but there were too many shadows in Vincent's eyes. 

Now Barrett had crawled from his tent, and Cid had emerged and was brewing a cup of coffee beside the fire. Tifa still lay curled up, but would awaken soon, Cloud knew. Red's fiery fur caught his eye, and he turned as the canine form settled beside him by the fire.

"So?" Cloud asked.

Red curled his tail around his legs. "Well, I calmed her down. She finally fell asleep. Very tired from her fit, I imagine. I thought I should warn you all: I have told Aurora certain things about all of us and our past adventures. I thought it would comfort her to hear stories about us and about Aeris, to some extent. So if she seems to know things that she shouldn't, it was my doing - don't be alarmed."

Barrett grinned. "Don't go thinkin' this is some kind of reincarnation?"

Red smiled. "I don't believe so. We shall see. But I thought it was only fair to Aurora."

Cloud smiled. "As always, an intelligent move, Red. You genius." The furry creature hung his head for a minute, pensive. Cloud immediately felt bad. "What'd I say, Red? Something on your mind? I'm sorry..."

The canine head lifted, soft hair falling behind peaked ears. "No, nothing, Cloud. It was something ...something Aeris said."

"About you?" Tifa had awoken with the conversation and wriggled from her sack, pulling her dark hair from her face. "What'd she say?"

"She told me ..." Red paused, then shrugged and continued. "She named me as Aurora's teacher. In everything about life. I'm from the scholarly background of Cosmo Canyon and not human, and ...she felt it would be for the best. And I'm not sure if..." He trailed off.

Vincent returned - his sudden appearances and disappearances had been merely accepted by the party long ago - and sat beside the _cosmoe_, smiling. "Nanaki, I am sure Aeris knows what she is doing. As I said last night ...sometimes you understand humans better than we do ourselves."

Tifa was surprised. _Vincent sure woke up cheerful this morning,_ she thought, then peered closely, finding shadows and weariness in the man's face. _It looks like he's been up all night again. I wonder what happened to make him change his mind about being so gloomy ...at least for today! _She quickly averted her face as he felt her staring eyes. _And ...I've never heard him include himself in a comment about the human race before. "I'm becoming less human" was always his catch phrase..._

Cid's eyes lifted from his precious coffee mug and landed on the small form standing rather awkwardly outside the circle of friends. "Morning, Aurora," he said, robust cheerfulness in his voice. "Have a seat."

The girl cautiously stepped over a log and sat beside him. She looked entirely unsure of herself and her place, but Cloud was relieved to see her looking - well, sane. And like herself. Although he was not quite sure if there was anything that could truly be defined as Aurora's persona. Especially now that the dip in the Lifestream had lengthened her black hair and changed the color of her eyes.

Softhearted Cid had focused all his attention on her, determined that she would not be uneasy; casting around for subjects, he looked down at his own hands. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" he asked.

Aurora looked down at the dark beverage, thoughts running across her face. "I have never ...I have never had coffee before."

Cid jumped up from the log. "Well then," he said brusquely, in response to the amused looks he was receiving from Tifa and Barrett, "I'll make ya your first. I brew a damn good cup of coffee. You'll love it." He reached into his bag, pulling out another mug much like his. He rested a small plastic contraption atop it, into which he put a thin piece of paper to use as a filter. Popping off the lid of a metal tin, he scooped out one spoonful of deeply dark powder and tapped it into the filter. The strong, delicious smell of coffee wafted across the fire. Tifa was tempted to ask for a cup herself - _I always assumed he drank crap! That smells like top quality Karan Mountain brand _ - but was afraid of breaking the moment. Cid took the pot of boiling water and carefully poured it through the filter, precisely stopping at the right moment out of habit. He sat, watching the water seep through, rummaging mindlessly in his bag for a small thing of sugar he kept with him.

Aurora was watching so intently that she didn't hear Cloud the first time. He repeated, "How did you sleep?", directing the question at her. Finally, she turned her head, the long strands of thick black hair sweeping across her face.

She looked at Red, almost embarrassed. "Very well," she said. "I was ...tired. I'm so sorry. You'll have to..."

"We don't have to do anythin, girl," Barrett said gruffly. "We understand. It's all ok. Was a long day for everybody."

Cid removed the filter, tapped in a little bit of sugar for Aurora, and stirred it. "Here," he said, holding the cup to her. "It'll be hot."

She looked at it, then smelled it tentatively. "It smells ...it smells good," she said, surprised. Tifa laughed.

"Cid may look rough and talk like dirt, but you can trust him." Aurora's gaze, initially startled, turned to amusement as Tifa continued. "I'm betting he can brew a decent pot of coffee," she continued, sticking her tongue out at him.

He glared at her, also amused. "I think Miss Bartender over there is trying to show me up," he said. Tifa stuck her tongue out again.

Aurora had taken a sip of the hot beverage. It curled over her tongue and down her throat, hot and bitter yet sweet and dark. She took another sip, and then had a suddenly surprising thought. "This is the first time," she said, "that anyone has made me anything to eat or drink." Amidst the stares of her friends, she turned and smiled at Cid. "Thank you. It's delicious. I've never had anything like it."

Yuffie, who had just crawled out of bed and lacked a certain amount of tact in the mornings, couldn't help it. "What did you eat before?" she demanded. 

Aurora smiled and shrugged. "Rations," she said. "Energy bars. I don't eat a lot. Maybe Hojo did that on purpose to keep his costs down."

Cloud let out a startled laugh. Had Aurora just made a joke about her past? Her face was full of mirth as she turned to him, and he laughed, wholeheartedly. Beside him, Tifa began to giggle.

Aurora shook her head, staring down into the brown depths of her coffee. "I feel like ...I feel like a completely different person," she said. "I don't know what happened. But I still feel like myself ...it's ...I feel very lucky for having found you," she said plainly. No one was quite sure which part of the adventure she was referring to.

Barrett stood and stretched, his entire spine cracking with the movement. "Well, spiky," he said to Cloud with a grin, "where to now? We've got this problem fixed up, and I'm about ready to -"

"Barrett!" Tifa gave him a playful glare. "Let us rest for once!"

He looked down on her in mock sternness. "There ain't no playin' while there's work to do!"

"Look," Yuffie said. She stood up and sat down next to Aurora. "I, um, I want to ask you something. You're allowed to, er, not answer, y'know..."

Aurora simply nodded.

"There's somebody after you," Yuffie said. "I'm hunting someone who betrayed me and my people, and there's evidence that he is hunting you." There was a long, drawn-out pause. "Aurora. Why would someone be after you? What do you have that other people want so bad they'd ...well ..."

Aurora shrugged, staring into nothing. "I have no idea," she said slowly. "I remember ...when I was in the labs ...I underwent a lot of experiments. But all those ...memories? They're like dreams now. They're fading. Ever since that ...that crown ...ever since that came off, I've been less able to remember anything about that past."

"Which means," Vincent offered, "perhaps the point of the crown was to enhance your memory."

Yuffie's eyes grew wide. "I bet that's it!" she exclaimed, almost happy; then she quickly sobered and got back to business. "I bet there's something in your head, something really important. Right?"

Aurora shrugged again. "I ...I do not know. The scientist never informs his specimen of the experiment," she said. "You ...well, you could be right. There are a lot of things floating in my mind right now."

"Do you ..." Yuffie bit her lip in eagerness. "Do you know anything about a ninja called Black?"

Aurora shook her head. "Brings up no memories," she said briefly. She took another sip of the coffee, still warm in her hand. It was delicious. It smelled like comfort and warmed her insides. She liked it.

"The most important thing," Cloud said, "is that we keep you safe. Especially now. You've been entrusted to us, Aurora, and we will make good on that - even if we don't know why."

"We'll find out," Tifa said encouragingly. 

"Okay," Barrett said. "_Now_ can we get going?"

Cloud grinned. "Yes, dear," he said, teasing. "Let's -"

_Ring._ It was the PHS.

Cloud quizzically pulled it out of his pocket. "...'llo?"

"Cloud? It's Reeve. Sorry to be bothering you so much. But I, uh, think you guys should come to Junon."

"What's up?" Cloud was suddenly focused.

"I don't know," Reeve said slowly, as if thinking. "They're throwing some huge sort of gala-party-opening celebration-thingy for their new Solar Collective. And they've been asking about you. Lots of people have. I think there's something big going on."

"Right," Cloud said. "Thanks, Reeve."

He hung up the phone and turned to everyone else. "Looks like we got invited to a party," he said.

"What?" Barrett was furious. "We are NOT going to any party!"

Tifa burst out laughing.

"No, no," said Cloud. "I'm serious. Reeve says that the Turks are throwing some huge party for their Solar business and it sounds like there's something going on underneath."

"It's funny, having him spy for _us_ now, instead of spying on us," Yuffie remarked.

"Anyway," Cloud continued, "he's suggested we go take a look. We don't _have_ to go to the party, Barrett. But I think for the Planet's sake we should keen an eye on it."

"Damn!" Barrett shook his head. "You should've said something. I'll do anything for the Planet. I'll even go to a party."

"Yeah, twist my arm," Red said under his breath. Tifa caught the giggles.


	11. Ch11: Beneath the Surface

  
  
  
_mmmmmm, turks! lots of turk goodness as per 'request' - hope it pleases. they have a relatively big part to play eventually, so stay tuned!_   
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter Two (11): Beneath the Surface.

  
  
  
  


"So," Reno grinned, "we meet again."

The handsome Turk was sitting in a leather chair behind a large black oak desk in an office on the top floor of the Solar Collective's massive headquarters in Junon. Behind the desk were panels of massive windows leading out to a small balcony which overlooked the ocean. The other side of the office was a clean white, and the walls held not windows, but various works of art. All in all, the office looked professional and pristine, which was surprising. Reno was not the kind of person easily described by the word "pristine". 

Cloud was sitting in front of Reno on a large leather couch obviously reserved for making visitors comfortable; Tifa was seated beside him, and Cid next to her. Yuffie was perched on the edge, casting longing glimpses at the comfortable cushions. Barrett stood uneasily behind Cloud; Vincent hovered in the background, near where Aurora stood, with Red curled at her feet. Everyone looked slightly uneasy at the current situation (save Yuffie, who merely looked jealous). 

Cloud leant back into the couch, resisting the urge to rest his dirty feet on Reno's spotless glass coffee table. "So," he said carefully. "What's this all about?"

They had reached Junon quickly in the Highwind, and had found an inexplicably nervous Reeve insisting they make an appointment with one of the Turks as soon as possible. Cloud, confused, had managed to comply. But Reno did not seem to share any of Reeve's apprehension. The red-haired Turk was as cool and complacent as ever. He almost looked carefree; it was only from experience that Cloud knew his gaze meant business.

Reno folded his hands on the dark oak desk, leaning forward slightly. "I'm glad to see that you accepted my invitation," he began. "I was afraid Reeve wouldn't transfer the message." 

Cloud bit down on his growing irritation with Reno's smooth mannerisms. "I'm just curious to know what's so important that you had to interrupt our lives to bring us into Junon," he said, careful to be polite.

Reno smiled; but it was a cat's smile, secretive and clever. "Oh, I wanted to show you the improvements we've made," he said. "We've been funding the rebuilding efforts for the town, and personally I think it's gone swimmingly." He stood abruptly. He still wore the sleek blue suit that characterized the Turks; _notoriety be damned, _Reno thought, _I look good in it. _He paced to the window and looked down. "The Weapons had destroyed a lot of this," he said. "But thanks to Solar, the city is up and running."

"What are you doing?" Barrett was not nearly as good at choking down his impatience. "Want to rub it in our face that you've got more money to work with than we do 'cuz you're from Shinra?"

"Not directly," Reno said, turning. "But money has a lot to do with why you're here."

Yuffie found herself immediately interested.

Reno returned to the large leather chair; he opened a folder on his desk and began to page through, skimming each page briefly. "There was a rule for the Turks," he said almost conversationally. "Believe one-third of all the rumors you hear; that way you'll get a good idea of what's going on and still stay cool." He looked at the last page and said, almost casually: "Well, if we were to believe only a third of what's out there ...there are at least six or seven violent organizations out for your head on a platter."

Tifa looked alarmed, but Cid grinned. "No surprise," he said. "There are lots of people out there with really messed up grudges. What's that got to do with us?"

Reno blinked. "Well, it does have to do with your lives; I think that's pretty relevant."

"No," Cloud said. "What does that have to do with us being here?"

Reno smiled and lay back in the chair. "Let me lay out another piece of the puzzle. That was just a piece of information to impress you. We want you to know that we're not on that list - not any longer. But we're still in the business of information." He ran a hand through his red hair - still in its messy, sexy ponytail - and continued. "You're here because the Solar Collective wants to make a deal with you."

"This is where the money comes in," Yuffie said, suddenly interested.

Reno winked at her. "Yep," he said. "Exactly."

He bent over the desk, looking Cloud right in the face. "We have what you want - money. Like your big friend said, you guys don't have much to work with; Midgar's destroyed, hands down. We have money, we have men. And we're willing to put Midgar at the top of the Solar Collective's project list."

"At what cost?" Cloud said slowly.

Reno gave a crafty smile. "You guys have what we want - publicity. Of the good sort. You're the heroes, the fighters who saved our world. People love you, even if they don't know why. Swords and spears, guns and Materia - you're fit to be legends. You're much more famous than you deserve." His eyes narrowed. "What the Solar Collective wants is your support."

Cloud smirked, inwardly amused. _Never thought the Turks would ask for our help._ But he knew what they were saying was true. And he knew it was tempting; Midgar may not have been the top of his personal wish lists, but he knew Barrett and Tifa felt very strongly about repairing the broken city. And Avalanche - well, what remained of Avalanche was horribly poor. Reno _had_ done his research.

"So what's with this party?" Yuffie's concentration was, as usual, fleeting.

"Ah, yes." Reno cracked his knuckles. "The Solar Collective is having a reception and banquet for its potential investors in two days. We'll be unveiling our newest innovations at a grand ceremony, and then throwing quite the lavish party. There's going to be lots of money there," he said, his eyes flashing, "lots of money."

"And...?" Cloud was suddenly suspicious.

"Well, some of the investors have, of course, been asking about you. 'What does Barrett Wallace think of your newest inventions?' 'How about that genius from Cosmo Canyon? Does Nanaki have anything better?' 'Is Cloud Strife involved in this?' Frankly, it's enough to make us sick." Reno scoffed. "But somehow, you have become the judges for the fate of the planet - the more intelligent ones of you have earned it through your work, and the others - well, you tagged along for the fight. It seems to be in our best interests to work together on this one."

"So," Cloud said, piecing things together, "you told Reeve -"

"I had to let Reeve think it was some sort of emergency," Reno said. "Otherwise, the idiot would never have gotten you all out here."

"I like Reeve a whole lot more than I like you," Barrett said vehemently.

"So do I," Reno replied. "Do we have a deal?"

Cloud blinked. "You want us to show up at your party and talk good about you guys? Basically sign off on your business?"

"I don't get it," Tifa said slowly. "Why us?"

Reno's lips curved into a sly smile. "Some of our investors," he stated, "have specifically asked that you be there."

"Interesting," said Red. "And who might they be?"

"Can't exactly say," Reno said vaguely, his eyes lifting to focus on Red. Then he noticed Aurora. "Hey," he grinned, "who's the new chick? Did Valentine finally get a girlfriend?"

Vincent - who had been standing beside Aurora - glared at him, his eyes flashing red. "She's a friend of ours," he said menacingly.

"Woah, calm down." Reno raised his hands in a mock gesture of defeat. "She's invited too."

  
  
  
  
  
  


"I don't know, Cloud," Red said.

It was their second day in Junon; they had spent the night in a superb hotel, expenses covered by the Turks. Reno and Rude had taken them on a tour of the entire plant; Barrett, Red, and even Cid were reluctantly impressed at the amount of research and development the team had covered. Cid "accidentally" lost himself inside the solar cell room, exploring the more technical parts of the lab for a full hour before he started cursing loudly about having lost his way. Red asked animated questions about everything; Rude, surprisingly, answered most of them, though the answers were brief as always. Barrett merely hid his admiration with a constant glare, usually directed at Reno's back. The red-headed Turk had decided to pay lavish amounts of attention to Yuffie - until he caught her nosing around his papers. They had been treated to lush meals and quality service. Even Cloud was impressed.

"They're just buttering us up," Red said. "I want to know what's going to happen. Who are these investors? And why didn't they come to us first if we're so important?"

Cloud sighed. They were sitting at a picnic table on Junon's beach; the city wasn't as well known for its beauty as Costa Del Sol, but its beaches were almost as nice. Tifa was teaching Aurora to swim with Yuffie's exuberant help. Cid was having a smoke somewhere down the sands; Barrett was pacing and mumbling, and Vincent was sitting by himself, watching the waves. 

"Red, I don't know," he said. "I mean, we have to be careful, right. But I know even Barrett's tempted, and he _hates_ the Turks. But I can't help but think that, eventually, we have to start working together, like they said. We have to trust them sometime."

"And when they turn on us?" Red asked gloomily.

"Look," Cloud said, "we'll be careful. But how much can they do at a party, for crying out loud?"

"And, um, what are we going to do with Aurora?" Red asked with a glance toward the ocean. Aurora was quickly getting the hang of the simpler strokes, and she looked to be enjoying herself.

"We have to take her with us," Cloud said. "We'll keep an eye on her. We can't leave her. Besides, if we introduce her as our friend, under a different name, no one will be thinking 'gee, I wonder if that's the Aurora Project?' Red, look at her. She's already different. If anyone's looking for her, I doubt they'd give that Aurora a second glance. Besides, what would they be doing at an investors' banquet?"

Red sighed and lay his head down on his paws. "We're famous, Cloud. Did you ever think of that?"

Cid laughed; he had approached from behind, dragging on the remains of his cig. "Of course we're famous, Red. Shit. We flew into space, fought the Weapons, cavorted with the Ancients, and blew up Meteor. Kind of. People are gonna love us, and I say they'd damn well better."

Red rolled his eyes. "So you want to go to the banquet."

"Hell yeah!" Cid grinned. "Look at the food they've been giving us!"

Red snorted.

Cloud couldn't help but smile. Tifa had come out of the waves and was approaching them, dressed in a dark tank and a pair of shorts; she was soaked through and through and smiling radiantly. "So," she said. 

"Tifa, what do you think?"

She shrugged, combing her fingers through her wet hair, oblivious to her dripping body. "I don't know. It feels ...it feels ok. I think in the back of my head what I'm thinking is this: they could have forced us somehow, and they chose to ask instead, knowing we could say no."

"Huh?" Cid took a seat, confused.

"Well, look," Tifa said, gesturing with a free hand. "They could've tried to blackmail us somehow. They could've, say, kidnapped Shera." Cid flashed her an evil glare. "But they didn't. They _asked_. And somehow that seems trustworthy to me."

There was the sound of soft footsteps, and they turned to see Reno, Rude, and a black-haired man they had met earlier named Barion. The three men were dressed in matching blue suits and wore the trademark shades. They shuffled their way down the sandy hill and approached the table where Cloud and his friends sat. Reno took a seat and dropped his shades to the end of his nose, his dark eyes peering over them.

"So."

"We're still working on it," Cloud said. "Nothing's been decided as of yet."

"Oh, come on," Rude teased. "You've accepted our hospitality this far. Wouldn't it be inconsiderate to turn us down after all our good behavior?"

"Oh," Tifa shot back, "because bribing us is such good behavior?"

The Turks stared. They had obviously missed the sight of Tifa, dripping wet, clothes plastered to her form with her long hair cascading around her body, on a beach. Cloud watched as their eyes traveled in tandem down her body and back up. Rude seemed speechless; Reno smirked and said sweetly: "But we're businessmen, baby. It's a business offer."

"We are also perfectly willing to meet your other requests," Barion said smoothly. Barrett had thrown a fit yesterday that he wasn't going to any big party 'without his Marlene'. This made Cid insist on retrieving Shera as well 'so my ass isn't alone for this stupid party'. The black-haired man leaned against a rock casually. "I cleared it with the Solar Transport system. We'll go pick up your other friends. If you say yes."

Cloud's eyes followed the sound of laughter; Yuffie and Aurora were still frolicking in the waves (as much as one can call a ruthless game of dunking 'frolicking'), and a thought crossed his mind.

"One last thing," he said. "The other girl."

"Yeah?" Reno asked nonchalantly. "She's hot. What about her?"

Cloud spoke slowly, trying to sort through his thoughts. "She's ...a friend of ours, but ...she's sort of ..." He chose his words carefully. "She's kind of an heiress. We are ...watching over her on a journey she must make." It was too close to the truth for Cloud's comfort, but on a moment's notice he could do no better; besides, he knew that the Turks would understand the worth of an heiress because they would immediately think of money. "It is highly important that we keep her safe. We cannot even call her by her real name. I want _your_ word that this gala of yours will be under highly strict security."

"Ahh." Reno tucked his eyes back behind his sunglasses, thinking quickly. Cloud could see that he had piqued the man's interest; it was probably a dangerous move, but he was much too worried about Aurora to ignore it. Anything that Reno discovered, he wouldn't give up easily; the man knew the value of good information.

"The word of a Turk, eh?" Rude had recovered from his Tifa-induced fit and was now staring calmly at the ocean.

Cloud nodded. "Your word. Whatever you want to call yourself now. I want it - and I want you to know that I'll hold you responsible if anything slips past you."

"It's invitation only," Reno said, "and we'll be sure to let no one else through."

"Then," Cloud said. "I guess you've got us."

Reno gave an uncharacteristic and very handsome grin and reached out to shake Cloud's hand.

  
  
  
  


Vincent was furious.

"A party?" He was pacing the length of his affluently furnished hotel room; Cloud leaned against his door, awkwardly holding his silence. 

The dark-haired man spun around quickly and glared at Cloud. "After all of this - Aeris, Aurora, Midgar, Meteor - and you want me to go to a _party?_"

"Vincent, you don't have to," Cloud said. "But we're all attending. For Midgar's sake. For Avalanche's sake. They made us a really good offer."

Vincent actually spat. "_A good offer?_"

There was a slight scratching sound at the door; Cloud moved aside to let Red in. The _cosmoe_ walked silently across the room and sat, curling his fiery tail around his feet.

"I'm not happy either, Vincent," he said softly. "But it's a chance to get a good inside look at what's going on here. I guess I have to look on the bright side."

"Yeah, come on," Cloud said with a small smile. "The more money we can get them to put into Midgar, the more time we'll have to explore other things -"

"-and the less we'll hear Barrett bitching," Red finished with a grin.

Vincent sat down on the bed. "I don't believe you are putting Aurora in this danger," he said. "Have you forgotten what happened?"

"No," Cloud said slowly. "But we'll all keep an eye on her. Look, Vincent, why don't you go with her? Stay with her. Keep a close eye on her. We'll need someone to do it."

Vincent narrowed his eyes and glared. "I _don't_ go to parties."

"For Aurora," Red said. "We'll need you there. They asked for _all_ of us. You did the research too."

Across Vincent's face played something like a brief battle of emotions; Cloud wondered which emotions they were. But in the end the man closed his eyes and said softly, "For Aurora. I don't want to talk about my research any more than I want to talk about my past. But I'll go."

"Good." Red stood up and cheerfully walked toward the door. "Now we have to find you a tuxedo," he called over his shoulder.

"_What?_"

Cloud shrugged and made a hasty exit.


	12. Ch12: An Unexpected Evening

  
  
  
  


Chapter Twelve: An Unexpected Evening

  
  
  
  


_I stood before the mirror, utterly confused._

_My reflection was lovely; dolled up in a dress the rose-color of dawn, my now-long hair bound back from my face with silver filigree, a simple cloak of cream draped over me. But who was it? Inside, I still felt myself the plain-faced girl I had always been; wearing lab pants and that tech-vest, the tarnished crown across my brow. That was the only person I had ever seen reflected back to my eyes._

_But they were no longer my eyes. Green flecks teased themselves out of the depths, sparking to life, reminding me gently. They were not my eyes; my long black hair was not my hair. As this body was and was not my own._

_I turned before the mirror, desperation building, trying to find the small girl with the dirty face and rough hands. She was nowhere. The silent swish of the dress had scared her away; I could see her hiding in the shadows of my face. _

_What was I doing here, in this borrowed dress, with gems in my hair and color on my lips? Is this just another experiment? Another game played by the rich and powerful? Perhaps it is only another outfit I must wear, fitting gear for a different sort of laboratory. I tried to catch my breath._

_Somehow, this was harder than any of Hojo's trials had ever been..._

  
  


A knock on the door, and a low voice: "Aurora?"

She turned, startled from her reverie, and turned the golden handle. Vincent stood outside her door, smiling. She stepped backward, allowing him to enter the room. His eyes took in everything; the silken dress, softly colored of sunrise, the creamy cloak clouds against the rising sun. He noticed the fear in her eyes as well.

"You look stunning," he said, with a slight smile.

Aurora started. "I did ...I did not... Thank you," she said, recognition in her eyes for the first time. She took in, quite surprised, that Vincent was wearing black pants and a simple white shirt. He had discarded his long black cape for a fancier cloak, and replaced the brass shoes with silent boots. "You look nice as well."

He grimaced. "You look nice; I look like a fool. I detest banquets." Aurora smiled slightly. He turned to her. "I come to summon you, my lady. Somehow, I have been afforded the honor of escorting the loveliest woman here."

Aurora giggled, a little nervous. "What are you talking about?"

Vincent shrugged. "Cloud is, of course, going with Tifa. Barrett, just as predictably, has brought Marlene - and Elmyra. Cid and Shera showed up a little while ago. This leaves, of course, only me to take your arm."

He did so, tucking it gently into his elbow. She looked at him, a smile tickling her lips. "What about Yuffie?"

He glared at her. "Fortunately for me, Miss Yuffie travels alone. Everywhere. Although I doubt she'd have me."

"Why not?"

"Many reasons. Perhaps she knows her constant chatter drives me crazy. And everyone has an aversion to this claw of mine."

"If it makes you feel better," Aurora said, "I will walk in holding that arm, and dispel that myth in public."

Vincent laughed, genuinely, and the last of Aurora's fears vanished.

  
  


The Great Hall of the Solar Collective was decorated appropriately for the evening. Tiny crystals hung from elaborate adornments all around the room, catching light from the one soft bulb above and many tiny candles hidden in niches on the walls. The ceiling itself was remarkably done up like a giant sun, golden crystals weaving patterns like sunbeams across the ceiling, each sparkling with brilliance. "I shall go mad," Aurora said to Vincent under her breath, "with all of this noise and bright light."

Vincent squeezed her hand, still tucked gracefully in his arm. "You will not," he responded. "Then who will I dance with?"

Aurora stopped abruptly. "Oh dear," she said.

At that moment, a young woman chose to approach the two. She looked remarkably like Elena, and held a small tablet and a stylus in her hand. "Vincent Valentine," she said with the unmistakable intonation of a reporter. "Who's the lucky girl?"

Aurora stammered. Vincent, glaring at the blond with his most fearsome glare, gathered Aurora close and said fiercely, "She's a friend of the company's." Whether he meant Cloud Strife's company or the company known as the Solar Collective went unmentioned. 

The reporter, dauntless, continued. "And what do you think of tonight's gala? Vincent, I know for a fact that you've been doing your part to help our world recover. What do you think of the Solar Collective, Ma'am? Can I get your name?"

There were sparkles in Aurora's eyes; the world around her was crystalline, not quite real. "Call me Aeris," she said with a dazzling smile, and Vincent took her away.

The blond scribbled on her pad until - she looked up, saying quizzically, "But Aeris Gainsborough -" She noticed their escape and left with an annoyed huff. 

Vincent was angrily looking at Aurora. "That was not wise," he said, but the girl was still lost in a daze. Her eyes devoured the room with its candles and chandeliers and velvets and finery. He realized suddenly how strange this must all look to her -

"I've never seen this much light," Aurora said breathlessly. "And the colors..."

"Ah," Vincent said, catching a familiar spike of blond hair. "There's Cloud."

He towed the uncomplaining Aurora across the room, through the crowd, and planted her next to Cloud and Tifa. Cloud was wearing a black suit, much like Vincent's, and looked just as uncomfortable. Tifa wore an off-the-shoulder black dress trimmed with diamonds and long black gloves; it clung to her every curve. She looked fabulous with her hair bound on the back of her head, tiny earrings glimmering. She was flushed slightly red - from the attention or from the heat in the room, no one could tell.

Cloud spotted Aurora and whistled. The small girl blushed miserably and tried to hide behind Vincent, but the tall dark man still had her arm. 

"Oh dear," said Cloud before anyone else could talk. "Here comes the dancing."

"Bother," Vincent said under his breath as the crowd swept them into the first dance.

He felt Aurora clinging to his hands, afraid of the great tide of people, surrounded by color and emotion and wild light. He clasped her around her waist tightly, calling fiercely upon the few memories he had of official banquets and the like. Fortunately, he was graceful, and Aurora followed his lead easily - almost effortlessly.

There was a pause, and he leaned forward to tell her such. "You're doing very well," he whispered in her ear.

He couldn't see her face, but he felt her flush; her whole body was warm against his. "It's not very hard," she whispered back, "when you're thinking so strongly about it. If I try hard enough, I can see the pattern in your mind."

Vincent straightened, and Aurora's face paled in shock. "Oh, no," she said, "did I upset - oh, I'm sorry, I just thought it was for the best - forgive me..."

But he smiled at her. "No, Aurora. You've made both of our lives much easier. Relax."

"I can't relax," she said softly against his jacket, "there's too much light."

After that dance was over they escaped to the refreshments table, where they again met up with Cloud and Tifa. Red was nearby, swamped by reporters and influential business suits; over at a table they could see Barrett, Marlene on his shoulder and Elmyra at his side, lecturing to anyone who came near. Cid and Shera were at the other end of the table, taking full advantage of the delicacies offered. The scientist looked lovely; she had abandoned her glasses and curled her soft brown hair. Cid himself had dug out an old space program uniform and was looking stunning himself. Yuffie, dressed in soft green, was hanging on Reno's arm. Everyone looked content - except Vincent, who was scowling.

"Oh, hang it," Cloud said to him with a smile. "I had to wear one too," he gestured to his outfit, "and I'm not complaining."

Vincent narrowed his eyes. "I told you, I _don't go_ to dances."

"Oh, bah," Cloud said. "I saw you and Aurora dancing quite merrily on your own."

"Have you forgotten," Vincent said softly, "that there's something not quite right about this invitation?"

Cloud shrugged in his trademark fashion. "There's nothing we can do," he said, "except play it cool."

He turned to Aurora and extended his arm; the girl looked at it in fright until she recognized it. "Aurora, dance with me?" he asked her, and with the eternal blush on her cheeks, she took his hand.

Tifa looked at Vincent, shrugged, and set down her small plate. "C'mon, Valentine, let's go show them up," she said.

"But -" That was as far as Vincent got before he was half led, half dragged to the dance floor.

Aurora had picked up her cues more than gracefully, and Cloud, though not a good dancer, had memorized the moves like an attack. With precision they cut across the floor. Cloud was making cracks under his breath once he found that he could make Aurora laugh; he would casually point out a large woman's hair and then spin the small girl so she got a better look. She was giggling fiendishly.

He leaned forward. "And there's a guy who needs a haircut and a shave," he whispered in her ear. "Wonder what he's keeping in that beard."

Aurora let herself be turned, Cloud directing her gaze to an old man who seemed to be all beard. Two tiny black eyes peeked out of the top of what looked like an enormously long mop. She burst out laughing.

"And look at that girl," Cloud said with a hint of humor in his voice. "Who picked out her dress?"

Aurora felt herself be turned, and she looked past Cloud's shoulder directly at Tifa, dancing with Vincent. Her eyes widened in mock horror and she burst out laughing before she could help herself. Ignoring the pleasant question in Tifa's eyes, she leaned in to whisper to Cloud:

"Didn't _you_ pick out that dress?"

Cloud laughed himself. Besides everything that had happened - the fact that the world was close to ruins, the fact that the Turks may have pulled one over on his friends, the fact that he was dancing with a pseudo-reincarnation of a girl he had failed to protect, the fact that they had made him wear a suit - he was almost having a good time. As the motions paused he threw a glance over to Tifa, who was at that moment looking back at him with more longing than he had ever seen bare in her eyes.

He wouldn't have recognized it if it hadn't been for Vincent. The two of them were staring across the crowd, heads turned briefly and casually in the dance, and their faces were mirrors. Tifa and Vincent stood almost still, a good head above the rest of the dancers, looking over toward Cloud and Aurora. Both faces were full of desire, longing, a kind of hunger and jealousy masking a deeper sense of anxiety. The same ache was in both of their eyes. Open. Unguarded. Horribly obvious. Reflected back, each upon the other, magnifying.

Cloud could have missed it on one face. He couldn't ignore it on two.

He had just realized what he had been trying to ignore for so long: Tifa was in love with him.

Tifa was in love. With him.

Cloud dropped Aurora's hands abruptly. "Excuse me," he muttered, and ran.

  
  


Tifa saw Cloud bow his head and leave the room. _Damn!_ She swore mentally, watching him run. _Was I really being that obvious?_ She was breathing hard, panicking. Cloud was leaving. She looked back at Vincent and saw a similar emotion - concern. Caring. As unfamiliar as it was on the face of the dark-haired man, she smiled, thinking it was compassion for her. 

"I have to go," she said, and ran after Cloud.

  
  


Vincent looked down at his empty hands for a second. His head shot up to follow Tifa through the crowd. He could no longer pick Aurora out -

_Aurora._

He made his way through the crowd almost fiercely, suddenly panicked. The dancers around him let him through, albeit slowly - so slowly - he finally reached the spot where Cloud and Aurora had been when he glanced over - 

She was not there.

He looked around, frantically, using his height and skilled vision in an attempt to pick her out of the crowd. No one. He recalled her black hair, the dawn-colored dress. Nothing. He spun in place, bumping the dancers around him. 

But she was not there. Aurora was gone. Alone. Unprotected. 

Vincent left the dance floor in search for her.

  
  


Tifa raced after Cloud. Her long, tight black dress had been perfect for a night of flirting and dancing; as a running outfit it was utterly useless. She tried to covertly hike it up, allowing her long legs a wider span of motion, hearing her heels clatter on the ground.

She turned the corner and there he was, alone, leaning against a railing. Staring out over the ocean. His face was a map of emotion and questions. Confusion. Slowly, gently, Tifa approached him; she leaned against the railing beside him, staring out over the Junon Sea herself. No one moved. Behind her she could hear the noises of the party - the light music, the chatter, laughter. 

Then Cloud sighed. She looked at him, quizzically, trying to puzzle out what was on his face. Finally she sighed herself and turned back to the ocean -

"Tifa."

_ I'm not going to look at him._ "Yes, Cloud?"

"Tifa, I want to ask you something." He shifted his weight, but didn't take his gaze off the sparkling water before him.

When he didn't continue, she prodded gently. "Ask me what?"

His eyes closed. "My memories ...Tifa, they're all confused. I've had these damn voices in my head ever since ...since I woke up. Since I met you. Or re-met you. And I don't know who they are. Zack ...Sephiroth ...and you. They're all mixed up."

Tifa, not really understanding what the question was, kept silent.

Cloud tried again on an entirely different vein. "I mean ...there are some things I think I felt that wasn't ...me doing the feeling. Or I was, but the feelings weren't mine ...oh God, Tifa, I don't know what I'm doing."

Cloud leant forward, burying his face in his arms. "But you. You've been there since the very beginning. Since my childhood. You're the only consistency I've ever had. And ..." He looked at her, his eyes raw; she almost flinched. "And now I think I know why," he whispered.

Tifa, struggling to stay upright on her weak knees, forced herself to look him in the face. "What are you saying?" _Oh, no..._

Something spasmed across Cloud's face. "Tifa," he whispered, "I have something to tell you. When we saw Aeris - I said - she said - we loved each other, Tifa - but now I think -"

Tifa choked and tore her eyes away. She looked fiercely at the ocean, daring it to mock her, trying to swallow the sudden tears. _I'm not going to be the default choice,_ she told herself firmly. _I'm not going to be the back-up plan. I'm not going to..._

Cloud interrupted her thoughts by pulling her firmly away from the railing. She looked up at him, startled; his hands were around her upper arm as he turned her to face him. Tifa found herself quite unable to move. She couldn't do anything but stare into Cloud's eyes...

Cloud said bitterly, "But it's not about Aeris, Tifa ...it's ...it's about..."

And then a cold hand clamped itself firmly about her wrist and tore her away. Cloud spun away fiercely, throwing himself between her and the attacker. They found themselves looking at a panicked and furious Vincent Valentine. 

Cloud's admonition died on his lips. "Vincent," he said. "What's wrong?"

Agitated, Vincent released them both and began to pace. "What did you do with Aurora," he asked fervently, looking at them expectantly, as if they could solve the problem.

Cloud blinked. "She's still on the dance floor," he said slowly.

Vincent shook his head frantically. "She's not," he said. "I've checked. I've checked everywhere. She's missing. I can't find her at all."

"Are you sure?" Tifa's heart was racing - Cloud, then this - she struggled to keep her breath even.

"I've looked everywhere." Vincent's voice was insistent. "And even I can't see her."

Cloud swore and left Tifa standing at the rail. It was only then that she realized he had never finished that sentence.

  
  


Vincent alerted Barrett and Cid privately. Cloud went first to Red and set him about to track. He found Yuffie alone in a corner, sipping a drink.

"Where's your precious Turk?" Cloud asked.

"Oh, please." Yuffie huffed. "I was collecting in-for-mation, for your ...information."

Cloud glared at her. "Well, go tell your precious husband that we have a problem. Aurora's gone, and unless we find her in twenty minutes, I'm holding it over Reno's pretty little head."

Yuffie's face paled and she gulped. "Aurora?" she asked, but Cloud was already gone.

  
  
  
  


Aurora had made her way off the dance floor. Still confused by the colors and the lights and the noise, she had walked in a daze, almost blindly, until she found something solid. _A railing._ She clutched at it, following hand-over-hand until she was relatively alone. The noise dimmed behind her. The lights were not as bright on this deck. In fact, she was almost separated from the party. The small balcony she was on overlooked the busy town of Junon, and she found herself instantly amused by the play of light-on-light in the distant homes and streets.

A soft tap beside her made her look up. An unfamiliar face was peering at her kindly. The man was tall and had a shocking flame-colored hair. He gave her a friendly grin. "What's a lovely lady like yourself doing out back here?" he asked.

She tried to compose her thoughts into an answer that wouldn't give her away. "I'm not used to the lights," she said softly.

The man moved closer, as if to listen. "Me neither. I'm not from around here. Are you?" When she didn't answer, he continued, casually. "My boss is one of the donors for the Solar Collective. He drags us all out here with him to 'keep an eye on things'. What's your name?"

"Um," she said, frantically, and then deciding that the man was worth trusting and that if it was only him there was no use in lying anyway, there must be plenty of people around with all sorts of names ..."Aurora."

"Ah," he said. "A lovely name for a lovely lady." He was now very close to her, and Aurora started to panic. She tried to shift away -

A voice came from behind her. "Gawd, Khan."

Aurora spun. The blond reporter she had seen before was standing there, a gun drawn and aimed precisely. "You're taking forever," the woman said, and fired.

A tiny dart lodged itself in Aurora's shoulder and the world began to spin. "Daema, you stupid bitch," Khan said, but Aurora was already unconscious, crumpled on the ground.

"Grab her," Daema ordered. "I've got the Invisibility Materia. Let's grab Jak and get the hell out of here."


	13. Ch13: Search and Focus

  
_sorry for the long hiatus. college can be ridiculous sometimes, and the story has gotten to the point where i need to think out what's going on pretty thoroughly. please let me know what you think of these developments. thanks so much for all the feedback, and keep it coming! -7th _   


Chapter Thirteen: Search and Focus

  
  


"Excuse me," Cloud said softly, but firmly.

Reno was laughing and almost didn't hear it. He was surrounded by gentlemen in expensive tuxes and luscious women in luscious dresses. He was making the deliberate point to pay as much attention to these rich bastards as he could possibly spare. But there was something in the whisper that Reno recognized: a command, perhaps. The furtive hiss of anger. Whatever it was in that simple phrase, it cut the joke completely short. Laughter-less, Reno spun around.

The look on Cloud's face was not one to be messed with. It had most certainly been anger in the voice, anger and fury: emotions Reno knew all too well. Behind Cloud was a furious-looking Tifa - _damn,_ but she was hot when she was angry - and Vincent Valentine, looking stellar in his tux, glaring fire and brimstone and death. Curious, intrigued, and hoping to hell that the anger had nothing to do with him, Reno made a hasty apology to the small crowd (giving a red-head in a black dress a cunning wink) and then, casually throwing an arm around Cloud's shoulder, beat it.

"What's gone so wrong that you have to interrupt me in the middle of my money-diving," Reno said through narrowly smiling lips.

"A security breach," Strife responded coldly through lips plastered with the same silly smile. "Our Aurora's gone. The one person we asked you to protect. She's gone."

"I guess Turk security isn't the promise it used to be," Vincent said coldly, having approached Reno from the other side.

"Woah," Reno said, stopping and throwing his hands up. His eyes narrowed. "That's a very personal insult," he hissed at Valentine. "Have you checked everywhere? Poked your head into the ladies' room?"

"We have class, Reno," Cloud quipped angrily. "But we've checked all over. And we're checking again. Fact remains: You promised. And broke it. You're so screwed."

"_Hold on,_" Reno said furiously. "I can personally guarantee that no one - _no one- - _got into this party uninvited. No way. I made sure of it myself. Hell, I did it myself. Fool-proof system. All over the place."

"Then," Tifa hissed, her burgundy eyes narrowing as she placed herself directly in front of Reno, "Whoever made off with Aurora was invited to this party."

Reno gulped.

"I know, I know," Strife said, making Tifa back off slightly. "We weren't thinking that either. We need to figure out who it was."

"We need to _find her,_" Vincent urged. 

"And to do that," Reno said, stepping hastily away, his fingertips tapping against each other in thought, "we have to figure out who it was. Rough game. But everyone here is either rich or a friend of the rich."

He narrowed _his_ eyes then, and asked Cloud: "Who is after the girl and why?"

Cloud met his stare with bright blue eyes as cold as ice. "It's none of your business," he said. And then shrugged. "It could be anyone."

A panting behind them, and then Yuffie ran up to them, slipping in her heels, grabbing onto Cloud's shoulder to stop herself: "She's nowhere," the ninja panted. "She's gone." And she shot Reno a horrible look.

The Turk held his hands up. "Look," he said. "I did what you asked - I have security on this place as tight as possible. I didn't think that one of my _guests -_" he emphasized the word coldly "- was the person you all were thinking of. But we'll do what we can. If the girl leaves the premises, we'll find her."

And as his sentence finished, as if on cue, a thin beep picked up over the crowd noise.

Reno reached down, coolly pushing up his blue suit sleeve; beneath it was a thick silver band with tiny lights, not unlike Materia. One of them was red, and it was blinking. One eye narrowed at the challenge.

"Yes," he whispered, and then took off up the stairs.

Cloud was right on his heels, Tifa following him. Vincent ordered darkly, "You guys keep looking," and then followed. Yuffie put her hands on her hips, sulking. Red tossed his mane at her.

Cloud caught up to Reno at the end of the corridor; the red-head had tipped a picture-frame sideways to reveal a metal door. At the touch of a button the door slid sideways. Reno swiped a small ID card through the slot offered. There was a click, and behind them, the wall fell to reveal another corridor.

Cloud, impatience taking over, grabbed the Turk by the shirtfront. "What are you doing?" he said sharply.

Reno nonchalantly tossed his hair. "You'd better put me down," he said, his cold demeanor returning. "I'm about to go catch the crook. If you're nice, I'll let you watch." His eyes traveled down to Cloud's fists and then back up again. "But you'll have to let go," he said pointedly.

Cloud dropped the Turk. Reno proceeded down the hall, swiping the card yet again and opening a door.

Screens. Screens upon screens, layers of security. IR cameras capturing the secret radar lines trailing every inch of the house. Hidden cameras tracking every room. One of the screens was blinking in tandem with the tiny light on Reno's wristband; he held the band up to the screen. Lines of code ran past, faster than the eye could follow, then the word _Confirmed_ blazed across the screen. On the computer behind it, a window enlarged.

In the special light, the house was trimmed with sensors; two shadowy figures were stepping over the sensors, causing the lines to blink rapidly. A third figure carried something limp in its arms. It passed it to the other two and then carefully let itself over the side of the house.

"Assholes," Reno said joyfully, "they set off the alarm."

"But where in the blazes are they?" Vincent exploded with fury. Reno quickly tapped on the nearby screen. A map of the house lit up, the area with the tripped alarm silently flashing red. Vincent scanned it quickly, and then grabbed Cloud; the two of them took off, tearing across the house.

Reno, however, was tapping again; Tifa leaned in closer for a look, not up for another sprint in the heels. "What are you doing?" she asked cautiously, as Reno pushed on the screen carefully.

"Tracking," he said. "If we can get a good enough facial image, we've got 'em. Look, this stuff's great." He pointed to the other screen, not taking his eyes from the console. "We scan their facials and come up with a match against the entry facials."

Tifa bent closer. True to his word, the picture was zooming in on the looped image of the three shadowy figures to the sound of his quickly tapping fingers. And as Reno worked his magic, the picture became lighter, clearer; and finally, with the triumphant push, he gave a curse of exultation.

Four faces lit up the screen. The one in the top left was unmistakably Aurora, her eyes closed, a slight frown on her unconscious face. Beside her was the man who had carried her - dirty blond hair and glasses framed a surprisingly kind face. The two windows below showed a man with hair quite akin to Reno's - bright red and spiky - and a furious woman with blond hair and a scowl. Tifa's lips curled up. So these were the perpetrators...

Reno's fingers were still moving furiously. A slight rustle at the door revealed Rude, dressed as impeccably as everyone else. He flushed slightly when he saw Tifa, but eventually came to stand behind Reno.

"What?" Rude was a man of few words.

A beep came from the computer and the word _Scanning_ filled the screen. Reno slumped back in his chair, a triumphant grin on his face. "Kidnaping," he said to Rude; "I've got facials, and I'm tracing them against the initial scans."

The silent Turk nodded. Tifa, confused, had to ask: "What does that mean?"

Reno's lips curled upward slightly. "We took data scans of every person that walked into this place, ma'am," he said sarcastically. "All we have to do is match these faces with the entry faces and we'll have all their personal data at our fingertips."

"You're kidding," she said, disbelieving.

"We're still in the business of intelligence," Reno said. "This room's our dirty little secret. We've gotta keep on the ups of everyone, or else -"

The computer beeped; the word _confirmed_ flashed past Tifa's eyes as a nearby contraption began spitting out paper. She was confused, surrounded by all this technology, still in her velvet dress and fancy heels. She wanted to sit down. She wanted Aurora back. And she wanted Cloud to finish that one sentence.

Rude silently walked over and gathered the papers together. His grey eyes scanned down the pages. "They're with KevCo?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Gimme that." Reno grabbed the pages from his bald friend, read, and spat. "Shit," he said. "They are."

"What's that?" Tifa asked.

"KevCo's one of our biggest donors," Reno said. "Never met the President, but he's rich as anything. They got in on tickets from KevCo. So either they're affiliated, or someone's leaking the beans."

"Either way, we're screwed," Rude said.

Tifa blinked. "Why?" she inquired.

"We can't piss off KevCo," Rude offered. "They're huge."

"But..." Tifa stammered. "They just kidnaped our friend! There's no way your dirty little politics are getting involved in this! We need to get Aurora back."

Suddenly, Reno was inches away from Tifa, leaning in so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. "Lockheart," he said softly, "you need to tell me why that girl's so important."

Tifa steeled herself, convincing her reluctant legs not to take that step back, not to back down. She held her ground, her burgundy gaze landing softly on Reno's shining blue one. "No," she said firmly, "I don't."

"Lockheart." Reno was now a mere space away from Tifa, his body pressing against hers, trying to intimidate her. "Tifa. If we can work with you, we will. But you need to share."

Tifa swallowed. _Don't back down._ "Not this," she said softly. "Trust me. It's better this way."

"What the..?"

Cloud had returned to the odd scene of Reno and Tifa; Rude gave a nonchalant shrug and turned back to the computer. Reno stepped back, his face a little red, but his eyes stayed locked on Tifa's. Apparently he had dubbed Tifa the "weak link" of the Avalanche chain and was determined that she would crack.

Tifa's eyes shone with the challenge. _I can stare down the leader of the Turks. I'm no wussy girl._ "Reno," she said softly but firmly. "Back down."

Reno's eyes narrowed slightly, but then he blinked, and the connection was lost as if it had never been. Tifa's breath caught in her throat. _Intense._ But she wasn't about to tell Aurora's secret to Reno. 

The Turk had turned to Cloud. "We've obtained all their personals," he said gruffly. "We can give you the information, but we can't do anything about it ourselves."

"What?" Vincent's eyes were dark.

"You didn't get her?" Tifa asked.

Cloud looked at her and a slight smile crossed his face; she smiled back. "No," he said finally. "They were gone by the time we got there. Not a trace. Red and Yuffie are down there now; between the _cosmoen_ tracking skills and Yuffie's ninja background, they'd better come up with something."

Reno shook his head. "Don't need to," he said carelessly. "Here's their names, fake IDs, hometowns, backgrounds, skills - everything we've got in the database."

"That doesn't tell us where they're going," Cloud said. "That's what we need."

"It might," Rude said suddenly, pulling a single page out of the printer from where he had been working. "I traced their invites; from the President of KevCo himself. So they're working for him."

Tifa nabbed the paper, throwing Rude a brilliant thank-you smile. _Rude has never been anything but polite to me, while Reno ...is an ass._ She scanned the paper. Blinked. "KevCo... what the heck does that stand for?"

Rude shrugged. "Could stand for anything," he began.

"It stands for money," Reno interrupted. "Which is why we won't be helping you with this."

"What?" Cloud was furious. "This is all your fault! It was your lax security that allowed them to get away -"

"Lax?" Reno stood up, suddenly furious. "You call this lax? We did what we had agreed on - we made sure we knew every soul that got into this party. I didn't know she was so important that three random people would be given invites _just to steal her!_ If you had wanted anything extra, it's your fault for not asking." He took a deep breath, gathering his composure. "I, in fact, am going back to my party. Rude is coming with me. You are welcome to any information you find here - but our deal ends here, Strife." And with that, he left the room.

"You just can't stand the fact that you guys messed up!" Cloud yelled at Reno's back. "You can't _stand_ to admit that the Turks slipped on security! So you're leaving!"

It didn't matter. The red-head vanished around the corner without looking back.

Rude sighed; he picked up the rest of the papers and handed them to Tifa. "These should help," he said softly, and then went to lock the room up. 

Cloud struck his hand with a fist. "Why is he so damn stubborn?"

Rude paused; thoughtfully, a smile crossed his face, the first Tifa had ever seen. "His pride's been hurt," he said simply, and then gestured for everyone to leave the room. He completed the lockup, made his apologies, and headed off after hot-headed Reno.

Vincent reappeared around the corner, looking disheveled and glowering as if the world were coming to an end. "Couldn't find anything," he said in a worried voice, and then saw the room closed; "What the ...?"

Tifa shrugged. The air in the hallway was chilled, and there were goose-bumps all up and down her arms. "They left," she said simply.

"The Turks aren't what they used to be," Vincent scowled, kicking the wall. Impulsively Tifa went over to him and reached out, touching his arm gently. 

"Vincent," she said softly, "we'll find her. Don't worry."

_I wonder what he's so worked up about._ They stood, Tifa's light fingers on Vincent's pale skin, his face turned to them as if they were the answer to all the problems...

Vincent blinked. _I wonder what I'm so worked up about._ He swallowed, trying to hide the fear he felt, the odd emotion that he had failed Aurora, he had left her alone ...

He looked at Tifa then, and smiled. "I know," he said gruffly. "And thank you."

Cloud, behind her, was paging through the reports. "Look," he said. "This is going to require some time and effort."

"And a whole lot of coffee, from the looks of it," Tifa said with a small smile, trying to make the best of the situation. 

"C'mon," Cloud said. "You get Red and Yuffie and everybody else - before Barrett makes a scene. We'll meet in my room and go over this stuff." He took Vincent with him while Tifa headed back to the ballroom to gather the others.

_What a night._ She sighed. Between the fear, the dance, Cloud, and now this - she knew she'd never get to sleep until something had been resolved! Then she took a deep breath and tried to laugh at herself; she couldn't let this get her down.

But it was Cloud. He had been trying to say something; he had finally opened up, past that wall, that mask of confusion and apathy he had constructed out of his twisted memories. He was trying to break free. If only she could get him to open up...

Aeris could have done it. Tifa winced. Back to Aeris; Cloud loved Aeris, but he didn't, but ...she was so confused, so weary, so tired of playing this game. Eventually her strength would run out and she would collapse, weeping, confessing everything. She had to hold on.

Tifa stopped to gather her thoughts, her hands clenched in fists. _Save Aurora,_ she thought. _That comes first. Cloud second._

A small voice in her head, teasing: _What about Tifa? Who cares about you?_

She swallowed the voice, telling it to shut up. _ I place everyone before myself. That's the way it is._

  
  
  
  


"Three hours, Cloud," Barrett said. "We've been sittin' here for three damn hours. And what do we have? Nothin'." The large man stood and stretched, his arms hitting the ceiling. "Screw this. I'm about to go out there."

"And where the hell are you gonna go?" Cid asked plainly, sipping his cup of coffee; his eyes never left his stack of paper. "You're welcome to head out if you think your wanderin' ass can do any better."

"Anything's better than this!" Barrett roared, gesturing to the cramped hotel room. They were sprawled across various pieces of furniture and open areas of carpet, scrutinizing Reno's printouts. It was a simple method of read-pass-read, but as of yet no one had figured anything out.

Yuffie groaned and rolled herself over on the floor. "We're getting _nowhere,_" she whined.

Shera - who had joined the party shortly after Aurora's disappearance - looked up from where she was taking notes on a random pad of paper. Still in her blue dress, with her hair gracefully pulled back from her face, she looked much unlike the scientist they all knew; however, the intense scrutiny on her face was familiar to everyone. She tapped her pencil absently against the notepad, and then said in her soft voice: "Not exactly."

Heads turned.

Shera blushed, but flipped back a couple pages to where she had begun to take notes. Still tapping the pencil, she continued, "I've read just about everything so far. And one place keeps coming up: a 'Research Depot' called _Clavatica_, north of Nibelheim. All three of them are listed as employed at that particular facility; these "percentage sightings" the Turks use for tracking - well, they're quite high in Nibelheim for all of them. Plus this secretive 'President' himself supposedly resides in that area. My theory is," she continued, absentmindedly jabbing at her nose where she thought her glasses were, "that will be the best place for you all to start looking."

There was silence, and then Cid began clapping. "A round of applause," he said with gruff affection. "Glad there's a real scientist here."

Red swatted at the engineer with a paw. "I could've gotten there," he argued, "but I have trouble turning pages."

"Anyway," Shera said. "I've plotted out the most likely location, based on the percentages in the Turkish database and other various factors. Using x and y coordinates as -"

"Right," Cloud said with a laugh. "Shera, we trust you. And we're not going to get it anyway."

The scientist smiled and flipped to a new page in her pad. "Here," she offered. A crudely sketched map of the world near Nibelheim was drawn there, with a fine crosshatching of lines like a map grid placed overtop. A circle was traced around an area north of the small town, with concentric circles ringing a shaded dot. Shera pointed with her pencil tip. "Based on these facts, I'm guessing it's around here. This, here ..." She outlined the bold circle. "This is the 95th percentile for estimation. Using this data, we can be 95% sure that the complex is in there."

"How do you _do_ that?" Yuffie said, admiration plain in her voice. "Are you a computer?"

Shera blushed again. "I've spent most of my life as one," she said. 

Cloud looked over the map and nodded. "Alright. So we start here for information. We'll head up, land outside, here." He jabbed a finger at Shera's map. "From here we'll all head in together until we find this place. Then we'll decide if this needs to be a covert operation or if we can just mosey on in." He shrugged.

"You," Cid said to Shera. "You're not coming."

"But..." She stuttered, wanting to fight but just not very capable of standing up to her boss.

"Look," Cid said with a rough grin. "You're the best mind here, we're not wasting it on the field. You're staying here. I'm gonna set you up with Reeve - he's still our friend - and I want you to get as much information as you can about these folks and what they're up to. This includes hacking into the Turkish database if you can handle it."

Shera's eyes lit up at the prospect of the new assignment. "Yes, sir," she said gleefully. "I'll do what I can."

"We'll need all the information we can get," Cloud said. "These people have taken Aurora. We need motive, we need background."

"They've got the future of the world," Vincent said darkly. "The last Ancient. And we need to know what they want from her."

"Right," Shera said with a brisk nod. 

A slow, sly smile spread across Cid's face. "Oh, Reno," he said under his breath. "You're in trouble now."


	14. Ch14: Moving with the Night

_bloody hell. it's been quite a while since i've written anything for this. apologies to anyone out there who might possibly remember this tale. i have the rest of the story worked out; it's just, this semester has basically swallowed me with work and all. plus i've been working on 'sincerity cowboy', a little ff8 story that was supposed to be short and sweet and now has basically taken over my life.  
anyway. this story has finally called me back and given me some inspiration. i'm back in the game - no frantic updates, but i'd really like to polish this one off with the ending it deserves. oh, and what a climax it's gonna be. i have a bunch of chapters left in me.  
if you're reading this, feedback is always nice. i know everybody says it but i'm a shameless bitch ^^ give me reviews, sucka! i mean - i love you!  
so. enough about me. on to the story! _

Chapter Fourteen

Moving with the Night

  
  


Aurora's entire body jolted, and the jolt did not feel _right_.

She struggled to open her eyes; some magical force had been laid upon her body, some supernatural strength designed to keep her under sleep's dark force. Aurora slowly, ungracefully, summoned forth a small bit of strength, fighting the force until - finally - her eyes opened.

And then feeling rushed back into her body as the spell crumbled and she couldn't help but cry out in pain.

She was seated in the back of what appeared to be a band, her hands cuffed together; the chain of the cuffs passed through a bar on the ceiling of the van, such that she was basically chained to the ceiling , arms extended awkwardly above her. Nothing else had been chained. She was still wearing the dress from the party; its rosy shimmer dimmed by dust and dirt and snags. 

Her cry made the man beside her turn and look. His hair, violently red, fell into his face as he swore at her. 

"It's awake," he called to the front; a tawny-haired man turned to look.

"So put it back to sleep," snapped a familiar voice; the blond-haired woman from before was at the wheel, somehow gracefully driving like a bat out of hell. "Jak, your job."

The light-haired man in the front closed his eyes, concentrating, and Aurora felt the first strains of a Sleep spell issuing from him. But she was panicking, lost in fear and fury. Her automated defenses were kicking in, and the magic in her blood rose fiercely to ward off the Sleep spell. The magic ricocheted around the van and finally settled into one of the glass windows.

"Holy -" The man beside her jumped and immediately scooted to the other end of the seat. "What the hell was that?"

"Defenses," Jak replied simply.

"She blocked it?" the blond girl snapped. "Khan, do something, you idiot."

"I'm not touching that, Daema!" The flame-haired man was keeping a wary distance.

"Khan, you're an idiot," Daema declared. "It's one little girl in a party dress. She's chained to the van. What's she gonna do in return?"

Khan reached out tentatively, but Aurora's defenses flared to life, the shimmering shield embedded in her skin shining into existence suddenly. Khan jolted his hand back as if he had touched a flame. "Bloody hell!" he spat. "What the devil is that?"

"Watch your damn language," Daema said flatly. "We'll take her to that Master. He'll know what the hell she is."

"Then we can get what we want and get her the hell out of this car," Khan said darkly, glowering at the small girl seated beside him.

  
  
  
  


"See anything?"

Tifa leant over the side of the Highwind as far as she dared, straining her eyes against the darkness. Cid was hovering, skimming the ground gently; they were looking for any sort of sign of this secret base.

"Nothing yet," Tifa called back. "Not even Nibelheim."

"Let me."

The quiet voice beside her nevertheless made her jump; Vincent vaulted himself over the railing and perched precariously on the small edge outside the ship, balancing perfectly. His clawed hand gripped the railing as he swung out, red eyes glowing into the night. 

"Over there somewhere," he offered, waving his other hand in the general direction. 

"How did you...?"

Vincent vaulted back over the railing and gave Tifa a rare grin. "Night vision," he said simply, and then retreated.

Tifa stared at his retreating back; then she gathered her thoughts and ran to the bridge to tell Cid.

"That way," she said breathlessly. "And be quiet."

"Be quiet, she says," Cid grumbled. "As if I don't know."

"Hush, Cid," Tifa said good-naturedly. "I said to be quiet."

Cid glared smoky daggers at the girl and swerved the airship closer, closing down the engines until all that could be heard was a small purring whisper.

"Look," Tifa exclaimed. Out of the darkness, as Cid pulled around one hillside, tiny lights popped into existence, flickering playfully. And out of the middle rose a familiar glowing tower ...

"Oh, shit," Cid said. "Is that what I think it is?"

Tifa narrowed her eyes. "They're running Mako," she said darkly.

A shuffle at the door caught her attention. "What in the hells of...?" Cloud took two giant steps and grabbed the railing. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes," Tifa answered hastily. "I think so."

"Don't tell Barrett," Cid said with a hint of a smile. "He'll barge in there and tear the place down."

"Right," Cloud said. He turned, looked at Tifa. Smiled slightly. "Here's the plan: Tifa and I will try to find an entrance and sneak in. We'll figure out where they're keeping Aurora and what'll be the easiest way to get her out. If we need help, we'll come back and get you guys. But there's no barging into that place until Aurora is out of there."

Tifa gave Cloud a grin; they were all back in their familiar fighting clothes now, and Cloud looked grim enough to take on the entire plant by himself. "You're right - we can't all go in at once, it'll be too much of a mess."

"You're not planning on going yourselves, are you?"

Red had come to the door; he approached, pawing the ground slightly. "You know we work best in packs of three."

"You're quiet enough," Cloud said with a hint of a smile. "You can come."

"Hey, and I'm not good enough?" Cid spewed.

Tifa stuck out her tongue playfully. "You'll trip on something and curse up a storm," she said. "Stay here and handle Barrett."

Cid grumbled as he turned back to the controls, lightly touching the Highwind to the ground.

  
  
  
  


Aurora was freezing.

They had finally reached - somewhere, some sort of giant factory or depot horribly reminiscent of Hojo's laboratory. Aurora's magical senses were tingling, both from stress and from the strange atmosphere of the plant. Her three kidnappers had unchained her from the van and led her into this building - still cuffed - and into a small room, lined with mirrors.

She was still in her ballroom gown ...and she was freezing.

She shifted, looking to the left then the right. One part of her brain coldly analyzed the mirrors, calculating what sort of blow would be required to shatter them. The old Aurora would have done it already - broken the wall down. The old Aurora would be fighting for her escape.

But maybe the old Aurora wouldn't have been captured at all.

She shivered. Her world was so confusing; there were always voices in her head, the new voices conversing with the old, sometimes leaving her out of the loop. She was just getting used to being in this skin, and it looked as if someone else didn't like it much.

She pondered briefly what they wanted.

The door slid open and she shivered again, involuntarily. The red-headed man sauntered in. Following him was a tall man, dressed in a black trenchcoat; he was completely bald and wearing dark sunglasses. 

The strange man strongly strode over to Aurora; her defensive shield kicked in before she could blink. Khan jumped, startled, but the other man knelt before her, unfazed.

"She's not wearing it."

There was a long silence, and then Khan, recovering, asked: "Wearing what?"

The strange man stood and stretched. "Someone has removed the crown."

Khan peered at her from his safe corner. "We, uh, didn't notice," he said finally. "I didn't know she was supposed to have a crown."

"Who took it off?" The strange man asked, ignoring the volatile red-haired man.

Aurora met his eyes clearly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You are the Aurora Project?"

She paused - briefly - and answered slowly: "I don't think so."

"Nonsense." The dark man leant down before her, menacing. "Where is the Crown?"

Aurora blinked. Stared him in the face. And did not answer.

"Stand up," he said gruffly, and she obeyed immediately. "We're taking you to see the Master - he'll know what to do with you."

  
  
  
  


"Up here," Cloud whispered down to Tifa, gesturing for her to follow.

"Why do we always have to find ladders?" Red whispered angrily. "Those of us with paws don't like them as much."

"You didn't have to come," Tifa whispered in reply.

The three made their way up the metal ladder quietly and entered the ventilation system Cloud had found.

"Right," Cloud whispered. "Um ...which way?"

Red paused, his eyes gleaming slightly in the darkness of the metallic tunnel; he sniffed the air cautiously.

"What is it?" Tifa whispered; the gloom was giving her the shivers.

"Nothing yet," Red replied softly. "There's something strange in the air, but I don't know what it is." He sniffed again and then bowed his head. "I'll let you know if I recognize anything."

"Come on," Cloud whispered fervently. "Let's try this way."

They headed down one tunnel cautiously, hearing only the tinny echoes of their own respective hands, feet, and paws. The entire place was gloomy, lit only by the presence of a few scattered bulbs left behind by repairmen. Tifa crawled behind Cloud, lost in thought. _I wonder what this place is? It's huge! What can they be doing out here - with a Mako Reactor - that's so secretive? _She stopped as Cloud paused briefly, listening to the air. _I wonder what they want with Aurora. They can't know what happened with Aeris._

Wait. Tifa paused too, listening to the sudden sound of the air. A faint rushing sound could be heard distantly; a small breeze touched her cheek. "What's that...?"

Red's head snapped up. "It's coming closer. Get out of the way?"

"What is?" Tifa shot back as they scrambled to a tiny opening a little ways back in the tubing.

"Shhh," Red said, his head lifted, narrow eyes staring into the darkness.

There was a pause, and then a mighty gush of air rushed past without warning; the gale whistled through the ventilation shaft, ruffling Red's headdress and making Tifa hold tightly to a protrusion in the metal.

"What's that?" she called above the force of wind.

"The ventilation!" Red called back. "Hang on!"

The burst of air slowly died down to a simple breeze and then, with a sigh, the shaft was empty.

Tifa sighed in relief. "That was insane!"

"Well," Cloud said wryly, "at least we don't have to worry about being quiet. If their insulation has to stand against _that_, it'll stand against us."

"We do, however, have to worry about the ventilation," Red said sarcastically. "Now come on, let's get a move on before the next one comes."

They hastily made their way through the metal shaft, mentally keeping track of each nook and cranny in which they could hide. When the next gust came, they were prepared, tucked soundly down a vertical shaft opening.

"Red," Tifa yelled as the wind howled overhead, "where is the wind coming from?"

Red shook his fine mane out of his eyes. "A cooling tower, from the scent," he called back. 

"The Mako Reactor?" Cloud's voice could barely be heard.

"Probably," Red yelled back. The wind died; "Come on!" he said, leaping out of the small hollow.

They continued along the ventilation until they came to a split in the pipe.

"Damn," Cloud said. "Which way?"

Red paced partway up one and then the other, his head cocked. Tifa drummed her fingers idly on the metal, thinking and listening.

"Hey," she said finally, "the air's only coming from that one."

"What do you mean?"

"Come back here, Red." She took a few more steps back. "You can definitely hear it - only from the one on the right."

A smile spread across the canine's face. "Good," he said. "Then that's the one that leads to the Mako Reactor."

"And the other one?" Cloud asked, interest growing on his face.

"Probably the actual complex," Tifa offered.

"Let's go." Cloud's eyes narrowed.

They made their way into the building, more cautious than before. Eventually smaller shafts began to branch off, leading into countless rooms. They moved like shadows, whispers in the gloomily-lit tubing. They began to hear voices, snippets of conversations; but nothing important.

Then Cloud froze.

Red's head lifted simultaneously as he sniffed the air and said decisively: "That's her!"

The three of them gathered around the nearest air vent, from which was coming a very familiar voice.

  
  
  
  


Aurora was shoved into a hallway.

No, not a hallway, she decided as her eyes adjusted to the sudden glare. A very long room. She was on a narrow walkway high above what appeared to be the real ground - a garden? She made out faint shapes, odd twisted plants and unrecognizable growths in glowing green streams. _Lifestream?_ Something inside her twisted in recognition.

Then she was coaxed forward by a low, low voice.

"There you are."

She looked up, realizing she was surrounded by cold glass walls. A single man sat in a single black chair - a large, menacing black chair - at the end of the walkway.

"The Aurora Project, I assume?"

Aurora shook her head.

"Ah, but you lie." The man was motionless in the chair, hands folded before him. "You are but a Project, like me. Like the rest of the lonely souls in this building. Do you think I don't know?"

Aurora, shivering, wrapped her arms around herself and remained silent.

"I would have expected you to be more ... compliant," the man offered, sneering. "When I knew you before, you were highly obedient to any command."

Aurora's eyes narrowed briefly. "Who are you?" she managed to ask.

"Forgotten me?" A tinge of sarcasm colored the man's voice. She saw him stand from the chair - he was tall, almost-blond hair falling slightly past his shoulders. "And I had hoped we could work together."

"I don't know what you want," Aurora said, but there was more strength in her voice. 

The man slowly walked toward her, footfalls echoing in the empty room. "You don't remember," he said, almost softly. "I know that removal of the Slave Crown brings forth amnesia. That's alright." He was close enough that Aurora could see his pale lips twist in a sneer. "We have ways of making you remember."

"I know that ...I was Manipulated," Aurora said, taking a few shaky steps back. "But I won't be controlled again."

"You think not!" The man's voice suddenly lashed out, booming, echoing around the room. "You are _our_ property now, Project," he growled. "And you will be treated as such!"

Aurora's defenses were kicking in - as was her anger. "I will not be treated like an object!" she cried furiously. "I am a person!"

"Hah!" The man's bitter laugh spun around the room as he lifted a hand and easily knocked Aurora to the ground. The girl winced in pain, struggling to get up. The rose-tinted dress offered her little mobility, but she got to her feet.

"You will _not_ defy me now!"

Suddenly the man had a large broadsword gripped between both hands, towering over Aurora's shaking form. "The Crown will be replaced. Do you understand?"

  
  
  
  


Tifa bit her lip. Things weren't going so well - they had found Aurora, yes, but this man seemed to have her cornered. Poor timid Aurora, in her torn party gown, had no chance. And now he had made a sword materialize out of thin air! 

Cloud reached out and gripped her hands; they had involuntarily flown to the screws holding the screen in place. "Wait," he said.

And then a sudden light flashed in the room beneath them; they both glanced down - 

Aurora had taken two hasty steps back; the girl was glowing, green and golden, her hands clasped at her chest. She threw one arm out before her and called hoarsely: "Flame!"

The yellow-haired man was engulfed in a fierce blaze of fire.

Tifa's jaw dropped. "What did she do? She can't have Materia, she's still in her dress..."

"Tifa," Red whispered. "Remember? There's Materia in her blood. She knows how to fight - I guarantee it."

They watched, incredulous, as tiny Aurora stood her ground. Her silver shield was active, the strange light shimmering over her skin; her fists were raised as if she actually had a chance.

"I'm not going to be controlled by anyone!" she yelled, and three strikes of lightning came out of nowhere, drawn to the man's broadsword.

"You're no match for me, Project!" The man snapped and lunged at Aurora.

Deftly the girl sidestepped his strokes, ducking under the sword, landing a powerful blow to the man's stomach - which did nothing. He tried to bash her with the hilt, but the blow flew off the silver shield into oblivion. Aurora dashed down the narrow walkway, knowing that her only advantage lay in the magic within her blood - and the distance between her and this madman.

Behind the chair was a table. And on the table, in the midst of some neatly stacked papers, lay a decorative knife.

She grabbed it without thinking.

He was approaching again, sword raised (although slightly charred), and she flung her arms out, summoning forth fire once again. But he dodged most of it and came forward, slashing at her. She tried nimbly to avoid his strokes, slashing with her own captured dagger.

Cloud hissed air through his teeth. "Tifa," he said, danger momentarily forgotten, "look at her fight!"

Tifa had been watching herself.

It was a well-known tradition for any warrior in these times to channel the power of fury into battle. Any fighter worth their weight on the battlefield had been trained to save up the pain and rage and anger - to direct it into a small portion of the mind, saving it up. And then, once something called a _limit_ was reached, the boundary broke - and all of the wrath poured out in a frenzy. This high intensity of strength resulted in a momentary enhancement of abilities - the adrenaline rush allowed a combatant to perform moves that would, otherwise, be impossible. This massive source of energy was known as a _limit break_. Techniques like this could be refined and studied - but only actual attacks from an enemy could possibly provide the furious rage required to execute one of these moves.

Aurora's fighting technique was completely different, and it took Cloud's breath away.

The small girl took every ounce of that energy she received and channeled it _right away._ Every blow that she took was immediately transformed into a mighty strength added to her small dagger. Every blow of hers consumed this energy - making her attack much more powerful and dangerous. It was the only way she could have put up a fight against the tall man; she was counting on the fact that her ferocious blows could put an end to the battle before the other man reached his limit.

Tifa was incredulous. "What's she doing?"

"She hasn't been trained in _limit break_ style," Cloud whispered. "Or, she has, but she's ignoring it."

"She's got a chance," Red said. "Those hits are so strong, she's tiring him out..."

"Should we go down there?" Tifa wondered to the empty air.

Aurora leapt back, funneling her rage this time into a mighty Flare spell which knocked the blond man to the ground. He leapt back to his feet and stood, sword at the ready. Aurora was crouched low to the ground; she looked like some otherwordly creature, her skin shimmering silver, traces of her internal magic still wisping about her. 

"I've had enough of this," the man said, his voice low and full of hatred. "I didn't want to injure you, but so be it."

Spreading his arms wide, he called forth in an unfamiliar tongue. An odd light - almost black - appeared about him in a darkened circle, shadowing his figure. He flung an arm outward and cried: "_Black."_

Aurora was engulfed in this anti-light; the girl screamed as the darkness tore at her body. The mist consumed the rest of her strength and she collapsed to the floor.

There was a sudden silence. Tifa couldn't even breathe.

The door opened; in came the red-headed man, followed by the blond woman. She took one look at the body on the ground and spat:

"What did you do to her now?"

"She's unconscious." The tall man's voice was smooth and low, confident once again. "Take her down the hall to the lab - last door on the right. Give her to the ninja. He will prepare her for our test."

Cloud looked up grimly and met Tifa's concerned eyes.

"We're going to need everyone," he mouthed.

She blinked, and then cautiously mouthed back: "Do we have time?"


End file.
